Five young lions swarm around with young giraffes before eating their prey in less than 10 minutes.

Photographer Desmond Chu captured the lion taking turns shoving and scratching a young giraffe’s back before one of the pack grabbed its neck. A sad mother giraffe watches from afar watching her cubs being attacked by lions.

Chu stood just five meters away from the lion cubs as they were busy tearing the giraffe carcass apart. “My feelings are very different. It’s sad because the prey that was killed was so young. But I was also shocked by the age of the lions. They are young hunters, so it was quite difficult to find a way to end their lives. of giraffes,” said Chu. Chu estimates the young lions are about 4-6 months old while the giraffes are several months younger than them. The mortality rate in adult giraffes is very low, young children under 6 months of age in the wild have a mortality risk of up to nearly 50%. Madikwe Reserve, located in the North West Province of South Africa, is home to the “five great beasts” of the continent, including lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo, as well as wild dogs and hundreds of species of birds.

Lions often hunt in packs to take down large prey. Their main food is mammals, especially ungulates such as zebras, giraffes, and antelopes. Lions can chase prey at speeds up to 80 km/h.