Heartbreaking footage shows the moment a newborn giraffe drowns in a river after an exhausting battle for survival against a hungry lioness.
While still learning to walk, the youngster is mercilessly hunted down by the predator with its terrified mother unable to protect it.
But after reaching a dead-end at a river bank, the calf’s terrified mother accidentally pushes her offspring down a slope in her bid to protect it.
Footage shows a newborn giraffe and its mother being mercilessly hunted down by a lioness in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy of the Masai Mara, Kenya
The calf is however too weak to climb back up, and eventually is grabbed by the lioness who then tries to drag it away. With little strength left, the giraffe lies helplessly in the animal’s jaws.
Determined not to lose her child, the mother fights back and wards off the big cat, allowing the calf to get back up and head for water.
But now out of the predator’s clutches, the giraffe appears too exhausted to carry on. Several hours later it collapses and drowns.
‘The calf lay down and at this point stood no chance against the apex predator who took the opportunity to grab the calf and carry it towards the water’
Determined not to lose her child, the mother fights back and wards off the big cat, allowing the calf to get back up and head for water
‘Unfortunately for this young calf, a hungry lioness and hyena showed interest in the calf right after it was born.’
‘To everyone’s surprise, it stood up but not for very long as the calf ended up finding safety in the river where it fell asleep from exhaustion,’ said Don
Now out of the predator’s clutches, the giraffe appears too exhausted to carry on. Several hours later it collapses and drowns
‘The new-born calf was now stuck in the riverbed, the mother went outside the riverbed and tried to coax the young calf out but it was too weak to climb the bank.’