Pulse-pounding moment giraffe chases vehicle of tourists through South African safari park

A young giraffe chased a vehicle full of safari enthusiasts in a nature reserve in South Africa.

The pulse-pounding moment was captured on camera by wildlife photographer and safari guide Matt Yardley.

The young male giraffe, who was abandoned as a youngster, was released into the wild after being hand reared. He now lives in the Game Reserve in Northern Kwazulu Natal.

The footage shows Matt and his team acting in the best interest of the guests and the animal by keeping a safe distance while making their getaway.

The 35-year-old from Salt Rock, South Africa said:

"The giraffe was abandoned as a youngster but released back in the wild so he still has a lot of wild in him but also certain tameness about him as well."

Although the size and speed of the giraffe at first might look frightening the youngster was simply investigating and did not behave aggressively in any manner.

Matt added: "He was curious about the vehicle and trying to sus it out and that resulted in the chase."

"He associated the vehicle with his upbringing but at the same time he's a wild giraffe so there was a confusion which I thought was quite interesting."

"My thoughts while filming were the safety not only for my guests but also the giraffe. I was making sure that the driver was driving at a good speed so to keep the giraffe at a safe distance and we didn't drive too fast and hurt ourselves. Our driver handled the situation extremely well."

"All's is well that ends well, the animal was safe and no one was hurt. It was a great experience and a good laugh afterwards so it's just one of those feel-good moments."

The footage was filmed in early 2021.