GIRAFFE TRAMPLES FAMILY
Horror at wildlife reserve:
A BRITISH scientist’s wife and son were last night battling for their lives after being viciously attacked by a giraffe.
The crazed beast left Katy Williams, 35, and her son Finn, three, needing to be airlifted to hospital after it trampled them in a South African wildlife reserve.
It is understood the female set upon the pair believing them to be a threat to its two-month-old calf.
They were just 150 yards from their home in the Blyde Wildlife Estate near Hoedspruit when they stumbled upon the creature and it attacked.
It only stopped when Katy’s UK-born husband, Sam Williams, arrived home from work and chased it away. Marina Botha, a lawyer representing the family, said: “Sam regards the incident as an unfortunate act of nature.”
It is thought Sam and Katy lived and worked on the park.
The mum and Finn were flown to Busamed Modderfontein Private Hospital in Johannesburg.
Sad
Surgeons operated on Finn on Tuesday to release pressure on his brain due to his injuries.
Ms Botha added: “Both mother and son are in a critical but stable condition.”
The manager of Blyde Wildlife Estate, Riaan Cilliers, said: “We are all in shock about this sad incident and we assure the family they are in our prayers.”
Mr Cilliers said the giraffe may have attacked because it was “surprised” by the mother and son appearing and thought it threatened her calf.
Earlier this year South African cameraman Carlos Carvalho, 47, was killed by a giraffe as he filmed in the country for British TV show Wild At Heart.