Rescuing and treating wild giraffes is tough. This comes through in a video posted by Kenya-based Sheldrick Wildlife Trust on their Twitter showing its staff along with forest rangers of Ishaqbini Conservancy treating a four-year-old female giraffe who has a thick rope snare coiled taut around her leg.
Video:
With minutes to save a life, teamwork is everything! Treating this snared giraffe posed risks to all involved, including the patient. Watch the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit in action with air & ground support. Find out why this was such a time-sensitive task: https://t.co/fB30lhqbMg pic.twitter.com/EBKhrs5h7N
— Sheldrick Wildlife (@SheldrickTrust) September 14, 2022
The giraffe is sighted standing among a group of 14 others and a helicopter of SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Unit with anaesthetic dart goes after her. Giraffes require mild sedation as they cannot be put under complete anaesthesia as it would make oxygen delivery to the brain lethally low.
Darting giraffes who can run up to 60 kilometres per hour from the ground and air is difficult. The animal sidesteps the first shot but the second one is a success. She trips and falls while the ground team in jeeps rush towards her.
The animal is administered the anaesthetic reversal while rangers hold her head to protect her from breaking her own neck or causing brain damage. The rangers cut off the rope and fortunately the snare is fresh and not sliced the skin to cause any grievous wound. The creature is let go and she gets up to join her group.
