Restoring Giraffe to Their Native Rangeland

Dear Giraffe Friends,

Giraffe once roamed freely across Island Safari Reserve, near Maun in Botswana, but like so many places, it lost its giraffe as their habitat shrank. With water on three sides keeping wildlife safe from encroachment, the reserve was the perfect place to bring them home and start a new herd, known as a founder population.

Photo: Island Safari Reserve near Maun, Botswana

Planning the Move
Thapelo Baiphethi, our Director of Southern Africa Operations, spent weeks preparing. He assembled a team of experts, secured permits, sourced vehicles and equipment, and mapped the route.

Moving Day
A helicopter helped the team find and dart each giraffe from Elephant Sands. Then the race against the clock began. Giraffe have a unique cardiovascular system, so the sedative has to be reversed quickly to protect their heart.

Photo: The team blindfolds the sedated giraffe, helps it stand, and guides it onto a specially designed chariot before moving it to a trailer.

Photo: All four giraffe loaded and on their way.

A New Home
On arrival, the trailer doors opened and the giraffe stepped out into the reserve. Thapelo, Aggrey Chemwa of Save Giraffes Now, and Dr. Erik Verreynne of Vet and Agric Consultants stayed for several days to monitor the giraffe and make sure they were settling in safely.

Four giraffe now live where no giraffes had been seen in living memory.

Name a Giraffe

Each of these giraffe is still waiting for a name. With a gift of $10,000 or more, you can name one, whether to honor a loved one, mark a special occasion, or simply make you smile.

Donate Today

Thank you for helping make this possible. We truly could not do it without our wonderful donors.

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