This Lion Got Some Serious Air
On November 27, 2016, the world got to witness a giraffe absolutely own a lion.
And when we say "own" we mean trample-on-top-of-him own. The moment came on BBC's Planet Earth 2 series that aired last Fall, and it had Twitter up in arms afterward. But first, let's set the scene.
These Are Namibia Lions, They Live In The Desert.
Lions who live in the desert are particularly unlucky. Not only do they have the highest failure rate of any other lion in the animal kingdom, but they also get a hoof to the face in this gruesome scene.
This is just moments before the pride encounters probably the most daring giraffe in the world.
Target (Giraffe) Acquired
As the lions come over the sand dune, they make their intentions VERY clear. On the other side of the camera is a giraffe, and he's about to jumpstart his jet engines to get away from the hungry pride.
There's only one problem..
Giraffes Are Faster Than Lions
As the pride pursues the giraffe, the audience can take comfort in the fact that Giraffes are quicker. It's probably because their legs are literally 3 times longer than their lion counterpart.
So technically the giraffe shouldn't have a problem, right? Wrong, it's being chased into a trap.
The Giraffe Is Headed Straight For A Trap
As the sun sets, the chase grows more intense. The lions have to catch the giraffe quickly, because their stamina is no match for this bigger and stronger animal.
The final showdown is just moments away..
No More Escape Routes
As the two head lionesses lead the charge, other members of the pride race to cut off any escape routes. One more, however, lingers ahead of the group to meet the giraffe head on.
Here's what happens..
The Lion Aims High
The lion quite literally attacks the giraffe head on.
She jumps as high as she can, going for a chokehold on the neck, but it doesn't quite pan out how she wants..
She Jumped WAY Too Soon
Before the giraffe even gets to her, the lion is already plummeting back to earth. She jumped too soon.
She also jumped too far from the side, and doesn't quite get hold of the beast. Now she's in for a rough couple seconds..
Imagine Getting Hit By A Car
The lion gets run over like a train.
Her body travels with the giraffe's for a couple moments before she lands on her back in defeat, but that's still not the end of it for her.
Here Comes The Hoof
See that back hind leg? That's about to land squarely on this lion's bare chest.
With legs up to 6 feet in length, it couldn't have felt good for this unlucky lioness. Hey, at least she tried, but as stated before, desert lions have the highest failure rate of any other lion in the world.