When a private game reserve owner in Limpopo was mauled by a lion, people shook their heads and said the man was playing with fire.

The footage of the mauling was all over the show last week, and you can see that video here.

Of course the lion was then killed – do yourself a favour and check out #RIPShamba.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard of a giraffe killing a man, but that’s just what happened last week at a game lodge in Hartbeespoort in North West.

47-year-old filmmaker Carlos Carvalho was fatally injured after a run-in with Gerald the Giraffe, as Times LIVE reports:

According to the reports‚ the incident happened on Wednesday at the Glen Afric Country Lodge.

…Carvalho [below] was filming a feature when the incident occurred at the same safari park used to film TV’s popular Wild at Heart series.

It said the filmmaker had worked on most of the series of the hit family drama that featured a British family building up an animal hospital in the South African bush.

“But the 47-year-old was sent flying 16 feet (almost five metres) through the air while working on a feature film with Gerald the Giraffe after the animal headbutted him‚ causing devastating head injuries‚” the publication said.

He was airlifted to Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital but died on Wednesday night from his injuries.

Unlike that lion attack, where the animal was quickly ‘disposed of’, the owners of the Glen Afric Country Lodge are sticking by Gerald:

[Richard Brooker, an animal manager] said Carvalho was shooting for the German movie Premium Nanny 2 when he got too close to a seven-year-old bull known as Gerald…

“Carlos didn’t follow the rules. We know, with every animal we work with, that there is a risk and if you step out of line you take the risk. You pay the price and this is what happened,” said Brooker. “We sent a letter out on April 11 just to state the safety on how to deal with the animals and the need to be very careful.”

Brooker said the incident happened after Gerald had been released from the set, which had been incident-free. He said Carvalho and the actors set out on a vehicle to shoot wide shots, but he got too close and footage from his camera could prove that.

The animal hit Carvalho with its head and he fell to the ground unconscious. He was airlifted to Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, where he died.

“There is footage of his camera rolling and you can see him close to the giraffe where he shouldn’t have been. He knows that; he has worked with us for nine years and he took a risk,” said Brooker.

He said Gerald was doing well.

Carvalho was an award-winning filmmaker, and a firsthand account of his final moments makes for pretty tough reading.

IOL spoke with focus puller Drikus van der Merwe, who was with Carvalho when the attack happened:

“I was standing right next to Carlos when the giraffe suddenly swung its neck and hit him on his head above his ear and sent him flying about 4-5m through the air”…

Gerald’s killer blow came without warning said Van Der Merwe, who had shot giraffe scenes with Carvalho earlier in the day without incident. Then while their second unit was shooting their final scene, Gerald emerged from the bushes.

“He started chasing the boom swinger who joined our unit,” said Van Der Merwe. “The giraffe followed him but we didn’t feel threatened because he just seemed to be inquisitive.”

As a precaution, Van Der Merwe said the unit’s assistant director radioed the farm’s animal wrangler, Vicky Brooker, to alert her that Gerald was wandering around unattended. He requested her assistance “to get rid of him”.

In the meantime because Gerald seemed unthreatening, said Van Der Merwe, “we started shooting close-ups of its body and its feet. Then while Carlos was looking through the camera eyepiece, Gerald swung his neck and hit him against his head. It came out of nowhere and Carlos didn’t even see it coming. He wasn’t aware of the danger.”

Carvalho lay on the ground until the on-set paramedic arrived. “I could see he was unconscious,” said Van der Merwe. “There was blood coming out of his eyes and ears so I knew he had a severe head trauma. But I never thought he would die.”

…A stunned Van der Merwe said he unwittingly captured the last photos of Carvalho alive. “About 5 minutes before he got hit Carlos gave me his phone and asked me to take some photos of him on the rig for his kids. He was talking so highly of them and his wife. I feel so sorry for them.”

A tragic loss of life.

RIP.

[sources:timeslive&timeslive&iol]