British Wildlife photographer Paul Goldstein and his family captured the incredible scene of a pregnant mother giraffe giving birth in the wild at Kenya's Olare Motorogi Conservancy.
The baby's front legs stretch out first. /VCG Photo
The baby's front legs stretch out first. /VCG Photo
The baby's head and long neck slowly emerge. /VCG Photo
The baby's head and long neck slowly emerge. /VCG Photo
Finally, the calf is born! /VCG Photo
Finally, the calf is born! /VCG Photo
According to the photographer, the birth took a total of two hours.
Guarding the newborn. /VCG Photo
Guarding the newborn. /VCG Photo
As the mother licks the infant to stimulate circulation and dry the skin, the baby giraffe adapts to the new world and tries to stand up.
The calf trying to stand up for the first time. /VCG Photo
The calf trying to stand up for the first time. /VCG Photo
After just 30 minutes of being born, the calf had taken its first steps under the watchful eye of its mother.
The newborn takes its first step under the protection of its mother. /VCG Photo
The newborn takes its first step under the protection of its mother. /VCG Photo
At this age, baby giraffes are very vulnerable to potential predators such as lions, hyenas and leopards. They stay with their mothers for around a year and a half. While males take no part in the rearing of the young, any groups traveling together will defend and watch out for each other against predators.