Lions Catch a Giraffe Sleeping and Make the Massive Creature Their Dinner

As the saying goes, ‘You snooze you lose.’ It’s an unfortunate reality of life in the wild. Though uncommon, a pride of lions happens to find a giraffe in a sleeping position. They don’t have to expend much energy to secure the kill. Instead, they move right in as dinner has already been served.

What is the Largest Animal a Lion Can Take Down?

Lions hunt a wide range of animals that can weigh anywhere from 100 pounds up to a whopping 2,000 pounds. Though they hunt in prides, their solo hunts involve smaller animals. With the strength of the pride, however, they can tackle large prey like wildebeest and even larger prey like buffalo. By working together, they manage to exhaust the massive prey animal, which weakens it until it has no more energy to fight. Then the lions feast.  

How Do Giraffes Defend Themselves From Predators?

Like lions, giraffes lean on their groups. It’s much more difficult for a predator to attack when giraffes are standing together. They also make a run for it if they are in danger. They can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour! If it comes down to it, a giraffe can also deliver a deadly kick. On average, an adult giraffe weighs about 1,700 pounds. You can imagine how strong a single kick is, even for a lion. Unfortunately for the giraffe in the video below, it was in a vulnerable position.

Lions Take Down Giraffe

When the video below starts, you’re looking at a map as the video zooms in to Masai Mara in southwestern Kenya. There’s not much action for the lions as they have come across an easy meal. Giraffes typically stay on their feet and on high alert in the wild. It’s not a common occurrence for a giraffe to get down on the ground in a seated position. It’s much too vulnerable for them.

They struggle to get back on their feet and with predators around, it’s an unfortunate and inadvertent invitation. You can see the giraffe is seated on all fours, its long neck bent like an arch to the right, where lions are pawing at and eating its head. The giraffe is already dead. There are five lionesses around with two focused on its head and neck while two others walk around back to feast on its meatier bits.

Watch the Footage Below!