Down and out! Moment ‘judogiraffe’ knocks out an older rival with a martial arts-style throw as they battle for a female in South Africa

  • Footage of the amazing giraffe battle was captured at Kariega Game Reserve
  • The bull pulled the leg of its rival, sending it down.
  • An 11-year safari guide said he had never seen such a manoeuvre in a fight.
  • The giant that was toppled did not sustain any injuries and slid away with its pride intact










This is the moment when a giraffe smashed a rival by using its neck to lift its opponent’s foot into the air.

Wayne Howarth (31), was leading a tour through Kariega Game Reserve South Africa when he saw two bulls fighting over the female.

Footage shows aggressive giants fighting in a normal fashion at first. They swing their massive necks at one another as they try and land a knockout blow.

The younger bull is pictured pulling its opponent's leg out from under it, unbalancing it and sending the bull flailing to the ground in footage recorded at Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa

The younger bull is pictured pulling its opponent’s leg out from under it, unbalancing it and sending the bull flailing to the ground in footage recorded at Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa

The younger giraffe then suddenly places its head underneath its rival’s left calf and lifts the older male into the air.

The victorious Giraffe swings its head at a grounded animal, before placing a victorious foot on its body.

Wayne said that he was amazed at how powerful the animals were. Being so close to them on foot really pumped my adrenaline.

'Judo giraffe' stands over its toppled opponent, putting a hoof on top of its crumpled body in a display of dominance

Judo Giraffe stands tall over its toppled opponent, placing a hoof onto its crumpled body in an act of dominance

“I have been a Kariega Guide for 11 years, and I have never seen such a sighting. I have seen giraffes in action, but never a knockdown.

“We were on a guided walking tour and saw them from a distance so made an approach. The fight lasted approximately 15 minutes and was over a female coming into oestrus.

“The guests were shocked at witnessing such an encounter. It was nature at its rawest form. 

Wayne Howarth (pictured) stands with his back to the camera as giraffes serenely walk in the background

The 31-year-old tour guide, pictured with elephants in the background, has worked for 11 years at Kariega Game Reserve

Wayne Howarth (pictured), a 31-year-old tour guide at Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa, said in his 11 years roaming the safari’s sun-drenched plains he’d never witnessed a giraffe use the leg pull out manoeuvre demonstrated by ‘judo giraffe’ in the footage

The not-so-gentle giant looms over its vanquished opponent, having been brought into a 15-minute all-out war with the bull over a female

After being brought into a 15-minute war with the bull over a female, the not-so-gentle giant towers over its defeated opponent.

Moments before 'judo giraffe' sends its rival crashing to the arid earth, the two bulls trade blows, using their heads as sledgehammers to beat each other's necks and bodies

Moments before “judo giraffe” sends its rival crashing into the arid soil, the bulls trade blows using their heads to beat each others necks and bodies.

‘Neither the giraffes sustained any injuries. The fight ended between the two bulls. The bigger, older bull was knocked down and eventually got up again.

The footage was filmed in 2018, but it has just been uploaded to social networks where it has been viewed over 3.9 million times.

Commenters were shocked by the giraffe’s brutality, with some jokes that it had taken a judo class before and had been watching too many UFC fights. 

One person wrote: “The Khabib Nurmagomedov trained the giraffe.” 

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