Happy World Giraffe Day!
Love from orphaned baby giraffe at Sarara Camp in Samburu, northern Kenya.
These youngsters are Reticulated or Somali giraffe, one of four distinct species native to Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. Together with other giraffe species they have suffered loss of habitat, disease and illegal hunting for bushmeat as well as collisions with vehicles and power lines and areas develop. Over the last 30 years the global giraffe population has dropped by 40% with recent figures giving an estimate of around 8,500 individual giraffes left living in the wild.
Sarara look after all kinds of animal orphans including baby zebra, warthogs and giraffe. These two baby giraffe were orphaned but will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild that surrounds Sarara, in the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy owned by the Samburu community.
Go to Sarara.co for more on the amazing work Sarara do!
(I took this cute photo on assignment for Conservation International while shooting for the incredible 3D VR movie My Africa. )
