An award-winning filmmaker has been killed while filming a giraffe in a South African safari park.
Carlos Carvalho had worked with Gerald the Giraffe on ITV's Wild at Heart series about a British family building an animal hospital in the South African bush.
However, he was working on a separate feature film with the giraffe when it head-butted him, sending him flying five meters through the air and shattering his skull.
The 47-year-old father of two was rushed by helicopter from the Broederstroom scene to a hospital in Johannesburg but doctors were unable to save him.
Film crew member Drikus Van Der Merwe was standing next to Carlos during the attack.
"The giraffe followed him but we didn't feel threatened because he just seemed to be inquisitive," he told the Telegraph.
"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.
"I could see he was unconscious. 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."
The tragic accident occurred at the popular 1500-acre Glen Afric Country Lodge in Hartbeespoort.
Newshub.
