Sunday was no ordinary day for veterinarian Dr Stephen Gerber from Nylstroom Animal Clinic who was called out to assist a giraffe bull in distress.

Based in Modimolle in Limpopo, Gerber was contacted by one of his clients, farmer Elfranco Maré, who said his giraffe was acting strangely.

Speaking to Caxton Network News this morning, Gerber says when he arrived at the private farm, the giraffe looked physically alright but was making a strange chewing motion and swinging its neck.

“We darted the giraffe with a tranquiliser and then tripped him with a rope so that we could get him onto the ground and look inside his mouth,” says Gerber.

“Once he was down, a few people sat on his neck to hold him still. As giraffes tend to have high blood pressure, we had to wake him up quickly and then try to get whatever was stuck out of his mouth,” he adds.

Gerber says he thought the giraffe had a bone stuck in his throat.

“Giraffes tend to chew on bones when they have a calcium or phosphorus deficiency,” he says.

What Gerber took out of the giraffe’s mouth surprised them all.

“It was a duiker’s skull, with the horns intact,” laughs Gerber. “Giraffes don’t typically chew on skulls,” he explains.

One of the horns was stuck in the giraffe’s palate and it couldn’t move backwards or forwards.

After about eight minutes, Gerber managed to remove the skull.

“The giraffe was given antibiotics, got up and walked away. He’s doing well,” says Gerber.

The animal clinic says while it frequently encounters the unexpected in wildlife emergencies, this particular incident stands out as truly extraordinary.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hunting / Wildlife (@hunting_and_wildlife_breeding)