people on a makeshift river raft with a giraffe looking over the four walls

FLOAT! Each rescue trip across Lake Baringo took about an hour.

CARO WITHE, SAMATIAN ISLAND’/Save Giraffes Now

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Giraffes on the Go

Wildlife experts came up with a unique solution to save a group of giraffes trapped on an island. 

August 30, 2021
By Lisa M. Herrington

As You Read, Think About: What were some challenges of moving the giraffes?

How do you get the world’s tallest animal off an island? Wildlife workers in the African nation of Kenya were faced with that problem last fall. Months of heavy rain had left nine giraffes stranded on a newly formed island in Lake Baringo. The lake was too wide for the giraffes to swim across. And hungry crocodiles lurked in its waters.

Animal experts came up with a plan. They would float the giraffes across the lake on a raft.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this happening,” says David O’Connor of Save Giraffes Now. That’s an organization that helped lead the rescue efforts.

How do you get the world’s tallest animal off an island? Wildlife workers in the African nation of Kenya were faced with that problem last fall. Months of heavy rain had flooded a lake called Lake Baringo. Nine giraffes were stranded on an island in the lake. The lake was too wide for the giraffes to swim across. And hungry crocodiles swam in its waters.

Animal experts came up with a plan. They would float the giraffes across the lake on a raft.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this happening,” says David O’Connor of Save Giraffes Now. That’s a group that helped lead the rescue efforts.

The Great Giraffe Rescue
Watch a video to learn more about this unique rescue mission.

Planning a Rescue

The rescue mission got underway last December. Workers built a special steel raft called a barge to move the giraffes one at a time. It was nicknamed the “Giraft.” The barge had tall sides to keep the giraffes from falling into the water. It was towed by a boat during the journey across the lake.

It wasn’t easy to get the giraffes comfortable with the raft. Workers tried leading them aboard with treats, like mango.

“Giraffes have a bit of a sweet tooth,” says O’Connor.

But what worked for one giraffe didn’t always work for another. The first two giraffes to be rescued needed special medicine to keep them calm.

The rescue mission began last December. Workers built a special steel raft called a barge to move the giraffes one at a time. The barge was nicknamed the “Giraft.” It had tall sides to keep the giraffes from falling into the water. It was towed by a boat during the journey across the lake.

It wasn’t easy to get the giraffes on the raft. Workers tried leading them aboard with treats, like mango.

“Giraffes have a bit of a sweet tooth,” says O’Connor.

But what worked for one giraffe didn’t always work for another. The first two giraffes to be rescued needed special medicine to keep them calm.

Map It Out

Giraffes live in the forests and grasslands of Africa. Their population has fallen by nearly 40 percent since the 1980s.

Use the map to compare giraffes’ current and former ranges.

Source: Save Giraffes Now; Jim McMahon/Mapman® (map)

Map It Out

Giraffes live in the forests and grasslands of Africa. Their population has fallen by nearly 40 percent since the 1980s.

Use the map to compare giraffes’ current and former ranges.

Source: Save Giraffes Now; Jim McMahon/Mapman® (map)

Rising Waters

How did the giraffes get stranded? Well, the island wasn’t always an island. It was once a peninsula that stretched into Lake Baringo.

In 2011, the endangered giraffes were brought to the area to protect them from poachers. These hunters kill giraffes for their meat and spotted coats. The giraffes could safely roam from the eninsula to the mainland to find food. But heavy rains started in late 2019. They caused the lake level to rise. Soon, the giraffes were cut off from the mainland.

How did the giraffes get stranded? Well, the island wasn’t always an island. It was once a peninsula that stretched into Lake Baringo.

In 2011, the endangered giraffes were brought to the area to protect them from poachers. These hunters kill giraffes for their meat and spotted coats. The giraffes could safely travel from the peninsula to the mainland to find food. But heavy rains started in late 2019. They caused the lake level to rise. Soon, the giraffes were cut off from the mainland.

Northern Rangelands Trust

Freedom! The giraffes were eager to be back on land after the raft ride.

A New Home

By April, all nine of the giraffes were back together at their new home. They now live on a wildlife reserve on the mainland. But this isn’t the end of the story.

Only about 3,000 of this type of giraffe, known as a Rothschild’s giraffe, are left in the wild. Like other types of giraffes, their population has dropped in the past 30 years. Poaching and habitat loss are big threats. Humans now use many of the areas where giraffes once lived for farming and logging. Also, war in some countries has driven giraffes from their land.

More Rothschild’s giraffes will join the nine rescued animals. Conservationists want the two groups to breed to help build up their population.

“These giraffes are the heart of our homeland,” says Mike Parkei, a ranger at the reserve where the rescued giraffes now live. “We knew we had to come together and do everything possible to save them.”

By April, all nine of the giraffes were back together at their new home. They now live on a wildlife reserve on the mainland. But this isn’t the end of the story.

The nine giraffes are a type of giraffe known as Rothschild’s giraffe. Only about 3,000 of them are left in the wild. Like other types of giraffes, their population has dropped in the past 30 years. Poaching and habitat loss are big threats. Humans now use many of the areas where giraffes once lived for farming and logging. Also, war in some countries has driven giraffes off their land.

More Rothschild’s giraffes will join the nine rescued animals. Experts want the two groups to breed to help build up the population.

“These giraffes are the heart of our homeland,” says Mike Parkei. He’s a ranger at the reserve where the rescued giraffes now live. “We knew we had to come together to do everything possible to save them.”

SaveGiraffesNow.org

Success! Once the giraffes were safe in their new home, workers celebrated.

1. What is the section “Planning a Rescue” mainly about?

2. Why did the giraffes need to be rescued?

3. What is the purpose of the map?

1. What is the section “Planning a Rescue” mainly about?

2. Why did the giraffes need to be rescued?

3. What is the purpose of the map?

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