These adorable photos demonstrate that you’re never too big to receive a hug, as this baby giraffe proved.
Christine Hadfield recorded the young calf nuzzling its mother while seeming to grin at Kruger Park in South Africa last month.
Christine, a wedding photographer from Manfield, County Durham, is more used to capturing the affection between the giraffe as they cuddle up and say she was humbled to be present for such a precious moment.
“One of the females made her way over to one of the calves, and it became obvious that this was her own kid because she began caressing its neck in love.
“The baby responded in such a wonderful manner by rubbing its face against mom and pushing back its tiny ears in a moment of apparent bliss on its face as it snuggled up.
“You could sense that lovely connection it had with its mother, and you could see both the mother and the calf clearly enjoying the precious moment.
It was an incredible experience to be a part of, and I felt truly honored.
You won’t see this behavior in giraffes, except with their young, unlike elephants that are highly social and spend a lot of time touching and interacting.
“I was searching for a loving moment as a wedding photographer, and I found one between this mother and her child.”