Giraffe saved from swimming pool at lodge in Bela Bela

The giraffe was found standing in the pool with its head sticking out of the water on the morning of 29 June, according to Marius du Toit, veterinarian at Bela Bela.

“It was a ‘teenage’ female giraffe, not yet fully grown,” said Du Toit.

Du Toit said the giraffe was shot with a tranquiliser out of fear that it might hurt itself while they tried to get it out of the pool.

He and team members from the Zebula lodge then removed it from the pool.

According to him, the giraffe was not injured and it was set free into the wild after recovering from the tranquiliser gun.

Sondela Nature Reserve training officer Jan Louis Jacobs was also present when the giraffe was removed from the swimming pool.

“We used a special rope that can actually carry a few tonnes of weight,” said Jacobs.

Jacobs thanked Du Toit and teams from both Zebula lodge and Sondela nature reserve for their efforts.