Giraffe that attacked mother and son to be moved

A giraffe that attacked and seriously injured a mother and her son in Limpopo will be moved to another reserve.

A female giraffe‚ which had recently given birth‚ attacked Katy Williams‚ 35‚ and her son three-year-old son‚ Finn‚ close to their home on the Blyde Wildlife Estate near Hoedspruit‚ Limpopo on September 4.

They were seriously injured and rushed to the Busamed Modderfontein Private Hospital in Johannesburg.

Blyde Wildlife Estate manager Riaan Cilliers said they were helping to move the giraffe and her calf to another reserve.

“Dangerous animals such as lions‚ elephants‚ buffalo‚ rhino‚ or leopards do not occur in the area where the Williams family resides.”

Family spokesperson Marina Botha from Botha & Lovegrove Attorneys said on Friday that Katy’s condition was improving daily.

“She understands that it will take time to recover fully‚ but she has a positive attitude and she is surprising doctors with her rapid progress. She is communicating by writing words and sentences on paper. She has written to ask Sam to thank everyone for their overwhelming support so far on her behalf.”

Finn remains sedated but is beginning to awaken. He underwent an operation last week to relieve pressure on his brain.

“As his sedatives are reduced and he starts to regain consciousness his medical team expect to gain further indications of the severity of his injuries. We can confirm that he is breathing independently‚ and we hope to have more information in the near future‚” said Botha.

Friends and families started an online crowdfunding campaign earlier this week to help Katy and Finn with their recovery. On Friday‚ the GoFundMe campaign had just under £10‚000 (R19,5257.50) of its £40‚000 (R78,1030.00) goal.