Giraffes triumphant return home

These giraffes looked more like sailors as they floated across Lake Baringo, Kenya to their new home; you would never guess that they would actually prefer munching leaves from tall trees with their feet planted firmly on dry ground.

giraffes return home

They disappeared from their native habitat over 70 years ago and these eight giraffes were finally returning to their homeland. They had no idea that they were making history; it is the first time that giraffes have ever been transported across the water in Kenya.

The giraffes showed their curious nature and kept cool heads as they peeked above the boat’s parapet to make sure they didn’t miss anything exciting. They just took in the beautiful scenery.

The raft that held the giraffes was kept steady by two boats flanking it on each side; each boat held conservationists to help with the trek.

The animals were kept calm as they sailed along the lake by several animal workers who boarded the raft, which is a former landing craft. If these normally gentle animals got nervous or caused a ruckus, it could have spelled disaster for animals and men alike.

The project took a total of four years to plan. Only a few hundred of these animals can be found in the wild, and eight of them were shipped to the Ruko Game Conservancy. It took two trips, with four giraffes at a time travelling across the lake.

The director of the Northern Rangelands Trust, Ian Craig, stated that giraffes are some of the most difficult animals to transport. It’s easy to understand why; it is almost impossible to find vehicles or structures big enough to support these large animals. The Ruko Conservancy sits on over 19,000 acres of land on the eastern shore of Lake Baringo and has become famous for its wildlife.