Baby Emily, the giraffe calf, has been reunited with her family in Phezulu

THE Phezulu Safari Park family welcomed back baby Emily, the giraffe. Emily was born on February 7 which was a little earlier than expected.

As this was the safari park first experience with a prem giraffe, the staff were not sure how to proceed.

“The staff at Phezulu monitored the situation closely, and it was soon established that the mother was not producing milk. Calves normally suckle within a few hours of birth, so we proceeded with caution, allowing the mother some time to lactate. By the following day, Emily was showing signs of dehydration, and she could no longer stand,” said Estate Manager Michelle Grant.

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The decision was made by Benton Erasmus and Matt Grant, the Safari Park guides, to intervene and remove her from the conservation area.

“After consultation with a wildlife vet, Emily was immediately placed on a drip and bottled feed. Emily took to the bottle like a star, and we had crossed the first hurdle,” said Grant.

The staff was advised that there was little chance of Emily surviving as she was underweight and very small. “The first two weeks were ‘touch and go’ as the team were faced with many challenges in hand-rearing a baby giraffe as well as the constant monitoring and interaction.”

Grant said a private rescue organisation assisted the Phezulu team through the process.

“Each week brought with it a new challenge, and Emily bravely reached each milestone, against the odds, and much to the surprise of the professionals,” said an impressed Grant.

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At 12 weeks old, Emily was finally ready to be reunited with her giraffe family in the game reserve where she was born. This was a momentous occasion for the Phezulu team.

In preparation for her arrival, Grant said a boma was built in the reserve among the acacia trees, which are her natural habitat.

“By the end of the first afternoon, Emily had settled into her new home, and the rest of the giraffes had started to show a positive interest in her. Especially her mother and father.

“While Emily happily grazes on acacia trees in the reserve, her feeds are still supplemented with milk twice a day. After three days, Emily broke out of the boma of her own accord and was fully accepted by the herd.

She added that protocols had to be put into place to ensure that Emily had as little contact with humans as possible, which was done gradually, so that she could be fully integrated into the herd.

“Initially, Emily preferred human contact to the giraffe and associated humans with food, but with support and guidance from Benton and Matt, Emily is now almost entirely settled,” stated Grant.

The Phezulu team are thrilled that the end goal was achieved, and Emily is now thriving in the conservation area after her unfortunate start to life.

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