A dramatic video recorded in Masai Mara National Park (Kenya) shows the harshness of nature that spares no one, especially with newborn babies. In the video is the story of the fate of a baby giraffe when it was only a few hours old.
According to Don Heyneke, professional photographer who also recorded the video, giraffes need about 10 hours to get used to the outside environment. During this time, they cannot move skillfully, and even more cannot run away when encountering predators.
However, the giraffe was unlucky when it was discovered by a lion, along with a pack of hungry hyenas. Despite the protective efforts of the mother and other adults in the herd, the baby deer was cornered by the lion to a cliff, where it unfortunately fell and lay motionless. Immediately, the lion swooped down, grabbed its prey by the neck, and began to drag it to safety.
As if the ill-fated baby deer would become a meal for the hungry lion, suddenly the mother deer appeared, rushed over and sacrificed herself to protect the baby deer.
Witnesses said this “life and death battle” lasted for more than an hour and in the end, the lioness gave up.
The baby deer was also able to get up and survive thanks to its strength and determination not to give up.
Giraffe (scientific name Giraffa) is a genus of herbivorous mammals in the order of even-toed clogs. They are the tallest animals on land, surpassing elephants and also the largest ruminants.
Accordingly, male deer can reach a height of 4.8 to 5.5 meters and weigh up to 1,300 kg. The record for the measured height of a giraffe is 5.87 meters.
The most special feature of this species is its extremely long neck, which can reach over 2 meters. The neck alone accounts for 52-54% of the giraffe’s spine length, compared with 27-33% in similar large ungulates.
The long neck is both a foraging tool and a defensive weapon for the deer because it allows them to see enemies from a distance.
Giraffes are considered one of the most docile species on the African grasslands, and very rarely actively attack other animals.
Their main food source is acacia leaves at altitudes that most other herbivores cannot reach. This species usually drinks large amounts of water at one time and can retain water for a long time in the body, so they can live in arid places for a long time.