Tragic Moment Mother Giraffe Sacrifices Herself In Bold Attempt To Save Her Calf From Hungry Pride Of Lions

 These hair-raising pictures show the heart-breaking moment that a giraffe sacrifices her life for her baby.

Taken by wildlife photographer James Nampaso, 38, the photos show a hungry lion attempting to leap at a baby giraffe.

But the calf’s doting mother puts herself in the lion’s path in an effort to fight it off.

The dramatic images were captured on the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya.

James said: “It’s a life experience in 12 years which I have never seen before.”

The hungry pride of lions gather around the giraffe calf, clearly seeing the baby as easy prey.

But dinner wasn’t as easy to come by as they had hoped, as the brave mother put up an incredible fight, putting herself between the lions and her baby.

At one point, the lion jumps onto her back – and she throws him off, rodeo style.

But it isn’t long before the pride manages to bring down both mother and baby.

James added: “The lions were trying to separate the mother and young and finally they managed to separate and kill the young baby.

“It is nature but it is still very sad.