We can judge the heart of a man by the way he treats animals. - Immanuel Kant

June 21st marked World Giraffe Day, a fitting choice to celebrate the tallest mammal on earth on the longest day of the year. Here’s a story about an encounter with orphaned giraffes I will never forget and the man whose loving kindness helped them return to the wild.

If Audrey Hepburn were an animal, I think she’d be a giraffe. Giraffes win the prize for elegance, beauty and grace. Those big eyes, those long lashes, that neck and super long legs! The tallest mammal on earth, it amazing to see them grazing the acacia treetops in the wild.

It’s Earth Day this week and I have some good news—over the last several months, a team of rescuers have worked tirelessly to safely move a group of stranded Rothchild’s giraffes off an island on Lake Baringo, Kenya. The Rothchild’s (Nubian) giraffe numbers have plummeted by 80% over the past few decades, so every giraffe saved is an important step in restoring their population.

“Come see our orphans, I’ll take you over first thing in the morning.” said Robert, my Samburu guide. Before the sun was up, we were bouncing down the dirt track in the land cruiser towards the stables at Sarara Camp, in Northern Kenya.

I believe animals can teach us a lot about love and compassion. As a trauma therapist I heard many stories about how family pets or farm animals were the companions who provided love and solace in situations of domestic violence or abuse. The emotional support from an animal to a human and human to animal can heal deep wounds of separation, abandonment and trauma.

My love of Kenya and Africa was sealed by a kiss in Oct. 2010. My first day in Nairobi we headed to the Giraffe Centre—a refuge and breeding centre for the endangered Rothschild (Nubian) giraffes. I did not know that there were 9 species of giraffes on the African Continent.