Female giraffes are very protective of their calves and deploy a number of defensive techniques to protect their calves, such as close observation and guarding. This involves staying awake for the majority of the day – averaging a deep sleep of approximately 20 minutes per night – and using their height to their advantage to stake out predators.
A giraffe’s kick is also very powerful; with the ability to kick with all four legs equipped with hooves the size of a dinner plate, a giraffe’s kick can seriously injure or even kill large animals with ease.
But most commonly, giraffes protect their young by guarding them very closely. Giraffe calves are extremely vulnerable during their first few weeks of life, and cannot defend themselves against predators. For this reason, calves are kept very close to their mothers. In this video from Latest Sightings, a female giraffe gives birth to a baby calf. Approximately 30 minutes after being born, the calf began stumbling around. Unfortunately, this is when a hungry lioness and hyena set their sights on the calf.
In an intense battle, the giraffe fought for her calf’s survival.
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Picture: Don Heyneke/Latest Sightings
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