Snare removal saves giraffe cow and calf

WWA's support of Wildlife Vets Namibia makes rescue possible

WorthWild Africa was delighted to sponsor the darts and drugs needed for this rescue. Here's the full story from Wildlife Vets Namibia:

The other day we received a call about a giraffe cow caught in a snare. What looked like a straightforward job quickly proved otherwise!

Although the giraffes were fairly tame and allowed us to get close, the first dart had other ideas and went straight into the ground… That was it for the “tame” giraffes.

From then on, getting close again was a real challenge, since the big bull who longer trusted us for a second anymore.  After giving them an hour to settle, the farm owner suggested a clever plan. Their giraffes are usually unbothered by the Kubota tractor, so we tried approaching that way. From the tractor Dr Ulf was successful!

The giraffe cow was surprisingly strong, and ropes were needed to bring her down. Once immobilised, the steel snare was quickly removed, and fortunately it had not cut into the leg yet. After the reversal drugs were given, she was quickly back on her feet! 

Ten days later came the best surprise: the cow gave birth!

None of us realized she was heavily pregnant at that time, which explains why she fought so hard and took longer to go down. The cow has been very protective of the calf, making getting photos difficult, but now we can finally share these adorable images with you! 

A huge thanks goes out to the vigilant farm owners and, once again, to @WorthWild Africa for their incredible support! They generously sponsored the dart and drugs we used for this case. In the end, not just one life was saved, but two; the giraffe cow and her newborn calf.

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To all those who generously support our ongoing Namibian Vet Fund, thank you! Please keep on sharing and supporting this vital work.