
This is the moment a giraffe sent birds flying with an explosive sneeze after it had stopped off for a drink at a watering hole in Kenya.

The giraffe could be seen quenching its thirst at Amboseli National Park as a number of Oxpeckers birds perched on its head.

Moments later, the animal appeared to sneeze, spraying out water and scaring the birds away.

Pictures captured the moment a giraffe sent birds flying with an explosive sneeze after it had stopped off for a drink at a watering hole in Kenya

The giraffe could be seen quenching its thirst at Amboseli National Park, in Kenya as a number of Oxpeckers birds perched on its head

The pictures were captured by 29-year-old Shaaz Jun, who owns and runs Safari camps in East Africa and India.

She said: 'The burst of water, the birds in flight, the giraffe in motion and the beautiful glow of the setting sun made for an opportunistic and special moment. It was least expected which is what made it so spectacular.'

Ms Jun had been waiting at sundown by the water hole for one of the large elephants to come and have a drink.

'Herds of zebra and giraffe drifted in and out to quench their thirst and on them arrived the Oxpeckers birds, who graze and feed predominantly on large mammals,' she said.

'The giraffe's unusual way of quenching their thirst allowed the flurry of pesky Oxpeckers to follow the trail of water left behind as it lifted his head after drinking.'

The unexpected encounter is one Ms Jun is unlikely to forget, she said, adding: 'I've spent over a decade in Africa and witnessed many interactions between Oxpeckers and large mammals, but nothing comes close to what we witnessed that evening.'

Cooling off: Moments later, the animal appeared to sneeze, spraying out water and scaring the birds away

Taking flight: The pictures were captured by 29-year-old Shaaz Jun, who owns and runs Safari camps in East Africa and India