How often do you find a giraffe in your backyard?
Well, for one Macleantown farmer it’s been every day for nearly two months, as two young male giraffes found shelter at his farm, to the alarm of his cattle.
Since May, cultural activist and farmer Bonisile Grey has been living with the two long-necked animals who are unexpected guests at his farm in Mpongo.
They frightened away his cattle who were unfamiliar with the species.
The two giraffes have stuck their necks where they don’t belong by roaming around Grey’s land, grazing on trees while his cattle keep their distance.
Grey says the giraffes entered the farm during the night of May 22, and at first he mistook them for horses.
“I heard these noisy footsteps that night passing by the house and I immediately thought it must have been horses. But that didn’t sound quite right.
“The following day when I was herding the cows, I saw these giant spoor in the ground.
“Then I went into the veld and saw these huge animals among the trees.”
The cattle were wary.
“My cows have became unsettled and whenever they sniff their scent they run away.
“When these giraffes saw the dam where my cattle used to drink, they immediately settled there.
“Now these cattle can’t drink there any more because they are frightened.
“I’m afraid to even go near them because of their size. I don’t know how dangerous they are.”
Though giraffes as a species are not considered endangered, some giraffe subspecies are.
According to latest stats from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, there’s an estimated population of 37,000 giraffes in SA.
Game reserves along the N6 from Macleantown and along the N2 in Kwelerha with in-house giraffes include the Mpongo game reserve and the Areena Riverside resort, which is home to the famous Abby.
Abby, short for Abnormally Big Baby, is well-known for his photogenic portraits with the resort’s guests and arrived at Areena as an orphan after his mother was killed by poachers at a local reserve.
Grey said he contacted all the game reserves to find the giraffes’ owners.
“Last week, I called the Mpongo and spoke to a guy named Terry who came in to view them.
“But he said these were not theirs as the pair were brownish.”
As a last resort, Grey then contacted the East London SPCA for assistance with the hope of getting them darted and taken to a new home.
But on Tuesday afternoon, before the animal inspectors had arrived, the owner of the giraffes was found.
“Apparently a guy called Gerald who has a farm here in Macleantown said they were his.
“Some of the farmers here have game like buck, but I never they knew they had giraffes.”
Farmer Gerald Reetke, who owns the giraffes, said they arrived at his farm in Macleantown with their mother 15 years ago.
“They’ve been here for a long time. Somebody didn’t close the gate so they went out.
“I’ve organised a vet to come and dart them and they will be taken to the game farm.
“We’ve organised a permit to transport them and we will take them from Monday.”
East London’s SPCA manager Ian Lombard said such cases were rare.
“Giraffes are placid animals and not dangerous at all. They will never come near you — will rather keep their distance.”
Grey said he was pleased that the owner has been found.
“I am also pleased our cows will now settle down in the field they had deserted. There will be normal grazing and I’m excited about that.
“Giraffes are not suitable for our small grazing fields because you need proper fencing so that they can’t wander in and out.”
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