Attacker giraffe moved but calf dies

The directors of Blyde Wildlife Estate’s board confirmed this week that the giraffe cow that attacked and severely injured Katy Williams and her son, Finn, on September 3 has been moved to a new location.

The giraffe’s two-month-old calf did not survive the relocation process.

According to a reliable source, who wishes to remain anonymous, the capture procedure was not carried out in the heat of the day, as had been speculated by those who raised questions about what went wrong.

“The procedure was finished by about 9am and by then, the temperature was still around 25ºC.

“The calf definitely wasn’t exhausted, either, as it did not run far during the process.”

Riaan Cilliers, the estate manager, said: “We are all devastated by this very sad news.”

Williams’ husband Sam responded to the tragic news with the following statement: “Katy and I are deeply saddened to hear the news about the unfortunate death of the giraffe calf during the translocation operation.

“We understand the translocation team took every possible safety precaution.

“It is a shame that accidents such as this can occur during even the most meticulously planned procedures.”

Attempts to get comments from the veterinarian and the game capture team involved in the translocation process were not successful.

But on the positive side, Katy and Finn Williams are both making good progress in their recovery.

The family’s lawyer, Marina Botha, from Botha & Lovegrove Incorporated‚ said on Wednesday that Katy Williams was moving to a general ward in the hospital.

“If all goes well, she should be out of hospital soon.

“She has made a remarkable recovery.”

Finn Williams is reported to be stable now, after having been in a critical condition when he was first admitted.

“He still has a long rehabilitation process ahead of him, which they have already started on.

“It is going to be a long and expensive road to recovery for Finn,” Botha added.

Friends of the family have started raising funds to assist with the process of the pair’s recovery. – Caxton News Service