This is the heart-breaking moment a mother giraffe makes a brave but futile attempt to save her calf after the pair were attacked by a pride of lions.
Taken by wildlife photographer James Nampaso, 38, the photos show the hungry lions attempting to leap at the baby giraffe.
The calf’s mother puts herself in the lions’ path in an effort to fight them off – with one of the predators clambering onto her back.
But despite her efforts, the lions eventually managed to separate the mother and calf before devouring their young prey.
These hair-raising pictures show the heart-breaking moment that a mother giraffe makes a brave but futile attempt to save her calf after the pair were attacked by a pride of lions
The calf’s mother puts herself in the lion’s path in an effort to stop it from jumping at her calf, but sadly, the calf is killed
The photos were taken by wildlife photographer James Nampaso, 38, on the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya
The hungry pride gather around the giraffe calf, clearly seeing the baby as easy prey, and the mother tries to stop them
The dramatic images were captured on the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya.
Mr Nampaso 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.
Mr Nampaso said of the sight: ‘It’s a life experience in 12 years which I have never seen before’. Above: the lion clings to the mother giraffe’s back with its claws and teeth
Dinner was not as easy to come by as the lions had hoped, as the brave mother put up an incredible fight, even though the lions clung to her fiercely
When the lion had jumped on her back, the mother giraffe was able to throw it off, but that did not deter the predators
The mother did survive the grisly ordeal, but her calf was not so lucky. It was finally separated from its mother and killed
At one point, the lion jumps onto her back – and she throws him off.
But sadly, it isn’t long before the pride manages to separate the pair and bring down the calf, although the mother survived.
Mr Nampaso 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.’
The defenceless calf was then surrounded by the pride. Mr Nampaso 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’
The calf could not do anything to stop the lions, who viciously brought it down as it cried out in terror before being eaten
Once on the grass, two lions were seen on top of the little calf as they prepared to eat it, while two other lions sat nearby