Friday Photo - Mountain Biker Chased by Giraffe

Giraffe on course during a stage of the Cape Pioneer Trek (photo by Zoon Cronje)

Let's face it - cyclists in South Africa have to face a lot of dangers that those of us who ride in North America will never encounter. There's the famous antelope encounter, charging elephant, chasing ostrich and the giraffe shown above. The giraffe photo was taken by Zoon Cronje, who has in a helicopter taking photos during the 2016 Cape Pioneer Trek. Giraffes are plant eaters, and might not seem that threatening. However, they can weigh over a ton and reach a max speed of 37 miles per hour for a short distance. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident. The photographer stated:

"I've captured quite a few close encounters in my line of work, this was by far the most dangerous because of the speed of the riders going downhill unable to see the rapidly approaching giraffe."