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 you come across a herd of Cape Buffalo on a game drive, you will usually see red or yellow-billed oxpeckers perched their bodies. The birds provide a valuable service - they eat insects and ticks. The symbiotic relationship between the oxpecker and the hooved host is known as mutualism.

Welcome to Sarara Camp, there’s a giraffe in the bathroom! Robert Lemayian, my Samburu guide and I laughed out loud when we encountered a reticulated giraffe munching the shrubs beside the outdoor bathroom as he gave me a tour of my accommodations.

The gates opened for the next feeding at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, but the orphans were nowhere in sight. The region is experiencing a devastating drought, the keepers and their young charges were forced to walk further out into the bush to find enough to eat. Finally, the first group of orphans arrived. They raced across the compound for their bottles.

This week, I wrote a short children’s storybook about some of my favourite African animal mothers and babies in honour of Mother’s Day. I am grateful to Haya (3) and Mara (6) and their mothers who gave me valuable feedback about which images they preferred. I wrote this book with them in mind.

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.

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.

My final and 26th game drive in January 2020 and I felt full. My photocards were full. My external drives were full. My heart was full! Steeped and sated in my encounters with the iconic African wildlife and its people, I wondered what this day would bring.

I couldn’t believe our luck when we discovered a “journey” of giraffes browsing beside the road early in the morning. Two young calves hung out together, simultaneously curious and hesitant about us. They trained their eyes and ears on our vehicles. When the calf turned to look at me, I could see that her ears and nose were still crusted with fluid from her mother’s womb. So young, so new, so beautiful.