A section of Kenyans showed remarkable bravery when they partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenyan and foreign conservancies to rescue eight giraffes from the crocodile-infested Lake Baringo.
The unique Rothschild's giraffes (16-foot-tall) were stranded in the Lake for months as the water level rose due to climate change and rainfall.
The Northern Rangelands Trust and the nonprofit organization Save Giraffes Now incorporated the local citizens in hatching a plan which took them several months to craft and execute on Wednesday, December 2.
First, they kept the giraffes replenished for months by providing them with food and occasional health check-ups.
The locals then built a custom barge for the operation. The rectangular steel structure was designed and built specifically to carry tall, heavy giraffe. The barge floats atop a series of empty drums, for buoyancy.
Rescuers sedated the first giraffe (Asiwa), her eyes were then covered with a hood and she was led to the barge with guide ropes. This process will also be done to other giraffes.
To ensure the giraffes could tolerate the ride, the team familiarized the animals with the sight of the barge over a several-month period by locking them inside different barges.
Reinforced sides then kept the Asiwa from jumping out as the barge while being gently manoeuvred by boats being peddled by locals.
“We sailed Asiwa over a mile of crocodile-ridden waters to the newly established Ruko giraffe sanctuary, and our team was there the whole way to ensure Asiwa was safe,” David O’Connor, president of Save Giraffes Now stated.
"There is great urgency to execute this rescue. We couldn't have asked for a better result, and we're eager to move the others soon. With giraffe undergoing a silent extinction, everyone we can protect matters," he added.
KWS plans on relocating the giraffes which were brought to the island in 2011 owing to its vast greener land which has since been affected by floods.
Watch the rescue mission
