Giraffes often appear unaffected by the life around them, towering over the treetops of the savannah and grazing constantly, as few predators pose a threat to these tall creatures. On the other hand, a baby giraffe is vulnerable to predators, and it is up to the mother giraffe to protect her calf.
Strong necks, equally long, thin legs, and spotted fur set these tall creatures apart. Giraffes have no boundaries because they are very sociable. It might surprise you that mother giraffes are relatively hands-off.
They often take turns caring for the calves after they are born. Mother giraffes occasionally leave their cubs. When this happens, the newborn will lie down and wait for the mother to return. While a critter relaxing alone may appear relatively healthy, it can quickly become dangerous.
YouTube channel Latest Sightings has uploaded a video of the heartbreaking confrontation between the tall animals and a pride of lions. It opens with a newborn giraffe, seemingly alone, being stalked by two lions. They quickly attack and bring the baby to the ground.
Within seconds, the tall mother rushed into the situation to protect her baby. One of the lions runs away immediately, while the other needs its mother to tell it to go away! It’s hard to tell from the video, but it looks like the lion may have injured the calf’s hind legs when it initially attacked.
Lions are natural predators. They will claw their opponents down while slashing at them with their sharp claws. To kill an opponent, they will strike at the opponent’s throat, choking or causing such a horrific bleeding that their target dies.
The video cuts to another scene with a baby giraffe lying near a dirt road. Several white vehicles parked nearby. It looks like a game of cat and mouse. The lion continues to attack, and the mother giraffe continues to protect her young.
In this case, there is not much a mother can do. Her baby was badly injured, so in order to postpone the inevitable, she proceeded to drive away the lion. While we’re not sure why the parents didn’t stay with the little one, we’re sure that whatever happened was in the calf’s best interest.
The mother just has to go one more time until the lion drags the baby giraffe’s lifeless carcass behind the bushes for a fresh feast. Sad to watch, it’s a stark reminder of how wild it can be in the jungle.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
