Following on from How to escape a Ugandan Lion (a recent blog) I want to tell you of a true story about me rescuing a Giraffe trapped in a very tall tree.
It happened in Kenya and rather than a Safari , ( I only had three hours between flights ) …it was a case of hiring a man, along with his 1974 Toyota rust bucket that certainly was the worse for wear both of whom were lurking outside the airport at Nairobi.
He was pretty reluctant to put his car at risk , but as the game reserve is so close to the city and as he wasn’t registered to carry fare paying passengers and was unlikely to get another fare …..he took the money and off we went.
Within 20 minutes we were in the reserve , and I could see why my reluctant driver wasn’t keen to take his car and me on “Safari” . His car literally shook itself loose….it lost hub caps the bumper fell off and an outside mirror came loose. The potholes were massive some so deep I didn’t think we would come out the other side.
And so to the Giraffe rescue….. we rounded a corner and here was this male ? Giraffe entangled in this tree. Without really thinking too hard , I jumped out and was heading for the tree while my Kenyan driver was going off his face screaming and yelling for me not to do the unthinkable. ..
The size of these animals in the wild and at close range is intimidating . They have been known to take on full grown lions and kill them with a kick from their hooves.
As for speed they can run at around 60kph ….not for very long , but long enough to beat both me and the Toyota . I think my new found friend was wishing he had never met me.
There was ; I am pleased to report , a happy ending …the entrapped giraffe with no help from me extracted himself , shook himself and sauntered off down the earth track….
We were blessed having several additional donations ready to go and help in the daunting task of running an orphanage and school home to some 172 children.
So again our thanks to the wonderful Temuka Trinity Presbyterian Fellowship who donated $300 from their Missions Birthday Appeal ….which happens yearly when everyone on their birthday gives a small amount of money and we are the very grateful beneficiaries. This fellowship has blessed the Orphanage of Hope so much in the past including the vitally essential petrol powered emergency electricity generator. It is a small congregation but it has a huge giving heart and we ( and our orphans ) are so grateful.
Maybe other readers church’s, families or community groups could do something similar.The smiles you would put on these beautiful children’s faces would leave an indelible mark on your heart ….believe me.
Also small in size but with a heart of Gold are the Timaru Bible Baptist Youth Group which donated a monitory gift which will also be put to excellent use.
The Timaru Bible Baptist Church ( as you will read in a previous blog) donated an age appropriate bible to each child at the Orphanage of Hope.
Our giving numbers are small but we are fighting well above our weight and making a huge difference in this one of Africa’s most impoverished regions.
Thank you all so very much….
Lindsay
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