Giraffe Capture | National Geographic

how do you capture an animal that weighs
over a thousand pounds stands over 12
feet tall and has a kick powerful enough
to kill a lion
the answer is teamwork here at Achieva
game ranch in central namibia when it
comes to capturing giraffe the team
takes up positions on the ground and in
the air
leading the charge are the helicopter
pilot and veterinarian it is their job
to spot the giraffe and dart it
if the giraffe runs for too long it
might die from overheating to minimize
this risk
the animal is darted with an overdose of
a very potent drug
these men on the ground or a critical
part of the team and theirs is arguably
the most dangerous job in Game Capture
one well-placed kick from the giraffe
could be fatal
the team ropes the giraffe to bring it
down and then immediately lifts its head
so that a sudden rush of blood to the
brain doesn’t kill the giraffe this hood
that’s placed over the giraffes eyes
helps to block out the action and
relaxes the animal once loaded into the
crate the animal can be safely moved
this time to much larger accommodations
for the trip away from Achieva their
timing has to be perfect and the team
has to be well coordinated to make sure
she can move from this truck into that
one without injury again and again for
three days
using various methods and pushing
themselves to the limit the team
captures another five giraffes with the
capture and translocation of these six
giraffes three more breeding groups will
be established in areas where giraffes
had been wiped out
certainly there will be a period of
adjustment for these animals but their
move is good for conservation and so
ultimately it will be good for the
giraffes