In the BVC this September with Shaun Buffee we came across this fine bull giraffe, near a leopard bait we had hung. He was pretty docile and allowed me to get very close for some great photos. As you can see he is a tremendous specimen - big and dark.



The next day we parked about a mile from the bait and walked in, as we were hoping to tread lightly around a leopard bait. As we were nearing the bait, I heard Shaun whistle for me; when I got over to him, I was greeted by the same giraffe in a much less pristine condition.



A pride of lions had pulled this huge bull down and fed on him through the night. It was obvious that a lioness had gotten onto his back and literally bit through his spine at the base of his tail. This must have rendered his rear legs useless and he was at their mercy.

We decided to cover him in some branches and put a trail camera up to see what would return to feed. Sure enough a pride of lionesses with a young male and some cubs.




(toilet paper was to create some movement in hopes of keeping the hoards of vultures away)
To add insult to injury, this cheeky lioness took offense to my brand new trail camera and bit through the front lens and battery cover!

Nature in the raw?
Thanks for the pictures and story.

I thought it was going to be a poach, but since that is what is supposed to happen it is pretty neat. Great trailcam photos

Sad ending to a magnificent creature.
But we are more like the lion than the giraffe, as we also are predators looking for our next meal.
TIA

The old bull was at the end of his life, that end helped feed the start of her young family. Nothing sad about a bull making it to that age. He lived well and had a long life and gave the rest, of what he had to the young lions.....

He looked like a real old bull. That is pretty cool to have that happen over night like that. Great pics

Looked to be in poor condition in your first photos.

That is life in the wild.

That is quite an experience. Thanks for sharing. What a grand old giraffe, and a good meal for the lions, too.

Nice Giraffe...

past his prime and looked to be in poor condition...

Thank you for sharing...

An old warrior. He is thin and as the saying goes, " No animal dies of old age."

Mike

A quick google says that the average lifespan of a giraffe in the wild is 25 years. Pretty amazing when you think about it, he lived in a hunting concession, with a healthy population of lions and wild dogs, and of course the ever present poaching.

quote:

An old warrior. He is thin and as the saying goes, " No animal dies of old age."

Well said Mike...tough way for an old boy to go.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Nature in the raw?
Thanks for the pictures and story.

A thread the antis should study thoroughly! I'm sure this old bull would have liked a very quick death from a hunter's bullet,better than the natural take down by hungry lions. Nature must feed all it's own,and death is death but one type of death is far less violent than the other!

NATURE "IS" NEITHER RIGHT NOR WRONG, IT JUST "IS"!

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Try telling that to your typical anti, Mac. I have always said that the animal taken by a hunter's bullet is lucky in that his death is quicker and more humane than that of probably 99.9% of animals in the wild. Some of the responses you get to that observation will amaze you, but very few will please you.

quote:

Originally posted by jwm:
Try telling that to your typical anti, Mac. I have always said that the animal taken by a hunter's bullet is lucky in that his death is quicker and more humane than that of probably 99.9% of animals in the wild. Some of the responses you get to that observation will amaze you, but very few will please you.

JWM, you’re preaching to the choir about trying to get anything sensible to a PeTA head! Been there, done that!

I used to post on a wildlife website a few years ago, that was populated with PeTA, ALF, Green Peace, and Friends of animals, or other dip sh!ts.

Like politics, religion, wildlife management is among tsunjects that offers zero consensus in a debate. A debate is fruitless on those subjects because you cant get facts through to someone who’s mind is made up. Joining in a debate on those subjects does nothing but make you some enemies and changes nobody’s mind at all!

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