Mother undergoes operation to repair injuries after giraffe attack

Doctors finished operating in the early hours of Thursday morning on a mother who sustained multiple injuries‚ along with her son‚ after being attacked by a giraffe in Limpopo.

Dr Katy Williams‚ 35‚ and three-year-old Finn‚ were seriously injured by the female giraffe‚ which had recently given birth to a calf‚ at the Blyde Wildlife Estate outside Hoedspruit on Monday.

Dr Sam Williams confirmed in an update on Thursday that several doctors had operated on his wife at Busamed Modderfontein Private Hospital in Johannesburg.

“The operation to attend to multiple injuries sustained during the attack from the giraffe was completed during the early hours of this morning. Dr Sam Williams would like to thank all doctors and medical personal from the hospital for their efforts to give his wife and son the best chance to heal‚” said a statement by the family’s lawyer‚ Marina Botha from Botha & Lovegrove Incorporated.

“Both mother and son are still in a critical but stable condition. The family said that they have decided to take one day at a time and to remain positive.”

The incident happened close to the family home on the estate‚ as Williams was returning from a trail run. He managed to chase away the giraffe and his wife and son were given emergency medical treatment before being airlifted to hospital.

Finn underwent an operation during the early hours of Tuesday morning to release pressure on his brain.

Blyde Wildlife Estate manager Riaan Cilliers said earlier: “We are all in shock about this very sad incident and we assure the family that they are in our prayers."

Williams and his wife are scientists with post-doctoral experience in animal-related fields. Sam is a resident of the UK and Katy is originally from the US.

Williams said in an earlier statement that based on the information available‚ he regarded the incident as an unfortunate act of nature‚ where the giraffe saw his wife and son as a threat to her calf.