Have Giraffes, Will Travel (to Babanango)

I’ve been obsessed with giraffes since I was little. As a matter of fact, I did my third-grade class project on giraffes and the rest is history.

Why am I telling you about my lifelong obsession with nature’s tallest creature?

It’s because during our recent visit to Babanango Game Reserve, Ana Kammerer and myself had the privilege of witnessing six reticulated giraffes released into the wild after being transported from elsewhere in South Africa.

From our base at Valley Lodge, Ana and I were whisked away by helicopter to the release site on the other side of the reserve. Having a helicopter at your fingertips is another exceptional feature of the reserve. Side note: the beauty of Babanango from above is hard to put into words.

You might have guessed that giraffes are particularly difficult to transfer due to their size and height, which is why these giraffes were quite young. A fully grown, adult giraffe is almost impossible to transfer.

After everything was settled and in place, the doors of the massive giraffe container flew open and the first one made a wobbly dismount. After catching her footing, it was almost as if she turned around to the others to say, “Come on guys!”

Five other giraffes followed, making the same shaky dismount. If you watch the video below, you’ll see the giraffes pause to look our way before gracefully disappearing into their new home.

The event was surprisingly quick but at the same time, it felt like time moved in slow motion. These creatures are so incredibly graceful and I’m so thankful to have witnessed something like this. It will forever be one of my favorite safari memories.

Babanango is releasing animals almost weekly as the brand-new reserve builds its wildlife populations. Lions and elephants are scheduled to be released in May of 2022. So make your reservations now!

— Jessie Tate