New images, captured by Indian photographer Srikanth Santhinathan, depict the dramatic scene of a mother giraffe’s futile attempt to safeguard its one-day-old calf from a lioness in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Park.
The photos capture the moment when the mother and baby giraffe were pursued, resulting in the adult lion seizing the calf and brutally breaking its neck to consume it, despite the mother’s desperate yet unsuccessful efforts to repel the predator by kicking out at it.
A giraffe’s long neck enables it to watch out for predators, but newborns are vulnerable, making them easy targets for wild cats.
‘One morning, we observed the large giraffe and noticed a lioness trailing it from behind. Nearly two minutes later, the baby giraffe was no more,’ recounted the photographer, Srikanth Santhinathan.
The mother attempted to push away the lion but tragically failed to do so, as the lion’s pounce resulted in a broken neck for the giraffe.
‘Afterward, the lion approached the baby and began consuming it while the mother giraffe fled, and we witnessed the lion eating the baby for almost twenty minutes.’
‘I receive numerous messages on Facebook regarding this photo, asking why I didn’t rescue the baby giraffe. However, photography entails non-interference with nature. Events unfold as they will, and while it is saddening, we must also respect the ecosystem,’ he added.
My emotions were mixed, filled with love for the giraffe but also understanding for the lions, as the five-to-seven-year-old lioness had her cubs to feed.
The mother attempted to rouse the baby giraffe, but it remained unresponsive. Based on the skin tone and information from my guide, it was confirmed that the calf was only one day old.
See more photos below…
