It was all hands on deck at Phelwana Game Lodge in Hoedspruit recently when a large giraffe got stuck in one of the lodge’s swimming pools.

According to the lodge’s Facebook page, there was a slight change in the team’s plans last Wednesday when the reserve manager phoned about a ‘very big problem’.

“Our largest male giraffe, a regular visitor to the guest villas, had fallen into a swimming pool, we suspect sometime during the night. With two steep steps to get into the pool, he was completely stuck, with no physical way to exit, despite his best efforts,” the Facebook post reads.

After discussions, the team decided to build an exit ramp for the giraffe. They pumped some water out of the pool, placed tyres and rocks inside, and then poured in sand.

It was a strenuous process, with the temperature peaking at around 38°C.

“The size of the pool meant we had to work incredibly closely to the giraffe. Much closer than you should ever be to a wild animal, especially one the size of a giraffe! With him regularly attempting to swing at us with his neck and trying to kick us, it was dangerous work. Of course, though, he was terrified,” reads the post.

Watch the video here:

Once the ramp was complete, the team left the swimming pool, hoping the giraffe would make its own way out. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

“We used a net, tied to a pole at each end, and walked behind him, creating a physical barrier. Keen to get away, his only remaining option was the ramp. It was a mad 30 seconds as he stumbled and fell on his knees.

“An extra move of the net gave him that final push to get up and out.”

After a six-hour-long rescue mission, the giraffe was finally free – and fortunately in good health after its ordeal.

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