Friday, February 11, 2011

No need for a crow's nest: Giraffes keep lookout as they are ferried across river to their old stamping ground

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Like ducks to water: Four giraffes cross Lake Lake Baringo in Kenya to the native habitat they had vanished from


They are more used to plucking leaves from tall trees with their feet firmly on dry land.

But these adventurous giraffes looked every part the sailors as they floated across a lake.

The eight giraffes were being ferried from Lake Baringo in Kenya to the native habitat they had vanished from 70 years ago.

It was the first time that giraffes have been transported across water in Kenya's history.

And they made sure that they kept their head for heights by peeking above the boat's parapet to watch what was happening.

Two boats holding conservationists sailed alongside the large raft that held the giraffes to keep the boat steady.

Several more animal workers boarded the former landing craft to keep the giraffes calm as they crossed the water.


Diverse: The Ruko Game Conservancy is on 19,000 acres of land on the eastern shore of Lake Baringo


Eight of the animals, who number only a few hundred in the wild, were shipped to Ruko Game Conservancy in two groups of four. The project took four years to plan.

Ian Craig, director of the Northern Rangelands Trust, said giraffes were some of the most difficult animals to move. Lake Baringo has become famous for its wildlife.


source: dailymail


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