A lone lioness shows her determination - single-handedly felling a towering giraffe. The desperate predator looked to be getting in difficulty as she struggled to take down the tall animal. But the reason for her tenacity soon became apparent as she had precious cubs to feed. Scroll down for video . Determined: Incredible pictures show a lone lioness bringing down a towering giraffe all by herself . The lioness eventually locked on to the giraffe's throat to kill it . At first the predator looked to be getting in difficulty as she struggled to take down the tall animal . The dramatic scenes were witnessed by researcher Brent Stapelkamp in Hwange National Park . The lioness locks its teeth on the giraffe's leg, the animal already visibly wounded . Brent Stapelkamp, a 37-year-old researcher, saw the dramatic tussle in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. The lioness refused to let the giraffe escape despite the danger she was in. The determined cat had been chasing the giraffe, which can grow to six metres tall, with its pride. But the other lionesses were distracted by a passing warthog and chose to chase the easier prey instead. This picture shows the lioness pursuing the giraffe across the dusty savannah . At first the lioness had some help from other members of her pride, but they quickly ran off in pursuit of a passing warthog - far easier prey . The lionesses are dwarfed by the giraffe but are in desperate need of food . The lioness refused to let the giraffe escape despite the danger she was in . The giraffe finally collapses on the ground after the epic struggle . The exhausted giraffe finally relents, lacking the energy to stop the lioness going for the kill . Brent said: 'A giraffe's kick can easily kill a lion so we were desperate that her pride come to help. 'Two one-year-olds came and followed her but added no help. 'The killing bite is to the throat but she had to bring it down first so chose the bite the chest, eventually causing the giraffe to fall. 'It fell in top of her and we gasped because we have lost lions like that before, but as it rolled off, she was out and at the throat. 'Only later did we see that she had fresh suckle stains on her teat meaning she had new cubs hidden and waiting for a feed. 'This explained her tenacity.'
Epic struggle between lioness and giraffe in Zimbabwe caught on camera .
The lioness was pictured battling the animal in Hwange National Park .
Predator was very lucky to survive as a kick from a giraffe can be lethal .