Newborn giraffe is lovingly fawned over by its proud parents as they clean it with their tongues

February 20th, 2020 Stories

This is the moment a new born giraffe appears to get a kiss on the head from its loving parents.

The image was taken on the plains of a private wildlife estate in Mpumalanga, South Africa, by project manager and amateur wildlife photographer Victor Soares who had been invited to the estate.

Although he arrived too late for the birth, Mr Soares shot a tender moment just after where the baby was being cleaned up by its mother and father.

In one of the pictures, the calf appears to be getting a gentle kiss on the forehead.

In another, the calf leans across to one of its parents as it continues to clean it.

In all of the pictures the calf is seen still sitting in the grass.

Mr Soares, 46, who is now based in London, took the pictures several years ago when he was still living in Johannesburg, where he is from.

He said he was having a ‘boring’ day at work – he was then a sales representative for an engineering firm – when a customer who lives on the wildlife estate asked him if he had ever seen a giraffe give birth.

He was then invited the estate, which is around 190 miles (300km) from Johannesburg, to witness the incredible moment.

He said: ‘I couldn’t believe what he was saying, but I knew that he was a keen follower of my photography and I also knew that he lived on a private wildlife estate in Mpumalanga – I had been there before.

‘I left work, rushed home, phoned my wife (super excited) and told her what I was up to. She got as excited as I already was and wished me luck.’