On 5th September 2025, an infant orphaned giraffe was reported a few kilometres from our Kaluku Headquarters. She had been observed on her own for several days, covertly coming to a trough for water alone before melting back into the bush. We received other reports of the possible orphan, but she disappeared before they could be investigated.

Then, our SWT/KWS Canine Unit was on a training patrol when they came across the young giraffe, still on her own. Using their tracking skills, they covertly monitored her for the morning to ascertain if her mother was nearby. To absolutely confirm her situation, Taru Carr-Hartley then flew the helicopter overhead and found no other giraffe in the area. (We later discovered the body of an adult female giraffe who had been killed by lions. This must have been the orphan's mother.)

The young orphan was already on borrowed time — it was a miracle that she hadn't been killed by lions herself. We had to rescue her before she disappeared again. However, it was a real mission: she was dizzyingly quick, determined to evade us, and the perfect size and colour to camouflage herself.

The team had several close calls, but she managed to slip away each time. By this point, several hours had passed, and time was running out — the helicopter would have to refuel, and it would be impossible to find her in the thick bush without aerial support. We decided to give it one last try.

The helicopter directed her towards an open area. Roan Carr-Hartley leapt and in one mighty swoop managed to grab hold of the elusive young giraffe. The rest of the team caught up and together they brought her to the ground and secured her for rescue. We named her Pips.

It was a marathon morning for everyone — not least of all Pips. It had likely been days since her last milk feed, and we can only imagine how stressed she must have been trying to keep herself safe on her own. The day's evasion tactics had taxed her further. We secured her in the back of a truck, cooling her off with water during the short drive to Kaluku.

Pips was fully spent by the time she arrived at Kaluku. The team carefully carried her into the stockade that was waiting for her and immediately plied her with a bottle of rehydration. The effect was almost immediate: suddenly, the wilted giraffe came back to life before our very eyes.

By nightfall, Pips was completely hooked on her Keepers. After her long and lonely time fending for herself, she was clearly so relieved to be rescued. The Keepers were equally smitten, taking turns treating the dainty little giraffe to lovely brushing sessions.

Pips was stabled next to Twiggy, Kaluku's first orphaned giraffe. We thought she might welcome a little sister, but Twiggy was quite indifferent to Pips. Giraffes aren't the most nurturing mothers, so this behaviour wasn't wholly surprising. Besides, Twiggy's mind was on other things: as she was reaching maturity, she seemed increasingly keen to acquaint herself with the area's wild giraffes.

In late November, our suspicions were confirmed when Twiggy was whisked away by a handsome suitor. She is currently honeymooning in the wild, although we hope and expect she will return to Kaluku — perhaps with her own tiny Twiggy in tow!

Pips doesn't seem to mind being the sole giraffe — she has her sidekick, Bombi the zebra, to keep her company! The girls have become fast friends and spend most of the day together. In fact, their friendship has solved some challenges: Bombi used to be so obsessed with Keeper Peter that she would follow him like a shadow and chase off anyone who entered his vicinity. If he had to run an errand or take a moment for himself, he would be forced to sneak away in order to shake his obsessive zebra off his trail!

Now, the girls keep each other busy. Spotted and striped, tall and short, they are an unlikely pair but perfectly matched. They can also be found padding around with Bibi and Gruff the buffalos, Izera the eland, Choke the kudu, and sometimes even Bean the elephant.

Twiggy used to be very finicky about her milk — she would only drink camel's milk and showed no interest in anything else. Pips, however, has no such compunction. The moment she gets a whiff of milk (any milk!), she moves in with military precision. Her favourite tactic is the surprise assault at mud bath, flying in, kicking over the bucket holding the elephants' bottles, and then drinking up as much spilt milk as she can. Bombi is only too happy to assist in this endeavour.

Pips is generally quite sedate, but then she gets a fit of zoomies — and we see an entirely different giraffe! She races around like a whirling dervish, legs flailing every which way, putting on a very impressive show. And then, just like that, reserved Pips is back.

The Keepers have an adorable nickname for her — Pipsi! She knows her name and responds to it. It is remarkable that little Pipsi came into our world just as the next chapter in Twiggy's reintegration journey was beginning. We look forward to helping her follow the same path.