These heart-wrenching images show the cruelty of nature as a giraffe is seen desperately trying to save her baby from a lion’s teeth.
I captured the images while visiting the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, in September 2018. The adult giraffe was seen desperately trying to save her baby from the lion but unfortunately the big cat snatches the baby, leaving the mother devastated.
From a distance we noticed the giraffe standing and looking down, but when we reached there, we realised that a hyena was trying to attack the baby of the giraffe.
After 30 minutes, the hyena gave up and the mother took her baby deep into the savannah. But she didn’t know that there was a lioness hiding there.
Once at an optimal distance the lioness charged, attacking the baby. The mother was helpless even though it happened under her strong legs. The mother tried to kick away the lioness but unfortunately she was not able to, the neck of the baby was broken by the pouncing lioness.
And after that the lioness went in again and started eating the baby while the mother giraffe ran away and just watched the baby being eaten for almost twenty minutes.
The mother tried to wake the baby giraffe but it was not responding. Based on the skin tone my guide [sadly] confirmed that it was one day old.
Young giraffes have a mortality rate of 50 per cent in their first six months. Once they reach adulthood however, only the bravest of lions attempt to hunt adults. giraffes, so this hungry lioness opted for only the baby instead. A giraffe’s neck allows it to keep an eye out for predators, but babies are incapable of this. Sadly, the mum didn’t spot the big cat either.
My emotions were mixed, one out of love for the giraffe but one of understanding for the lions. As the lioness who was five-to-seven years old, had her cubs to feed.
I get a lot of messages on instagram about this photo saying “Why didn’t you save the baby giraffe?”. But photography is not about interfering with nature, things go nature’s way and whilst it is sad, we should also respect the ecosystem.