{"id":16848,"date":"2025-10-12T11:48:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T11:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=16848"},"modified":"2025-10-12T11:48:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T11:48:44","slug":"this-giraffe-left-photographer-speechless-then-sad-truth-is-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=16848","title":{"rendered":"This giraffe left photographer speechless, then sad truth is revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people celebrating their 40th anniversary might opt for a cruise or a beach getaway \u2014 but for South African couple Marius and Michelle Nortje, nothing beats a trip to the wild.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Their love story, already four decades strong, was about to take an unforgettable turn deep inside Kruger National Park.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What started as a routine drive turned into a moment the couple \u2014 and soon the internet \u2014 would never forget.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go at least once a year, but sometimes as much as four times,\u201d Marius said in an interview with\u00a0The Citizen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But during their anniversary trip this past December, something extraordinary emerged from the bush: three giraffes. And one of them was unlike anything Marius, a seasoned wildlife photographer, had ever seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t find [the lions] on the tar road and turned off on a gravel road when we first saw one and then two giraffes emerging from the bush. When the third of the herd became visible, we saw strange growths all over her body,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

Acting fast, Marius captured the giraffe on camera and later shared the images on Facebook, where they quickly stirred both curiosity and concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople wondered if she was in pain,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, she was grazing peacefully, and it didn\u2019t seem to bother her, although it appeared painful.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also tagged the South African National Parks (SANParks) in his post to raise awareness, but as of the time of the interview, hadn\u2019t yet received a response.<\/p>\n

A rare condition<\/h2>\n

The giraffe\u2019s photos gained even more traction after being picked up by WorldWide Vets, an international animal welfare organization. According to Dr. Gemna Campling, founder and director of the organization, the giraffe is suffering from a condition caused by papillomavirus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many types of papillomavirus, each affecting a specific species. However, the cow variation (Bovine Papillomavirus or BPV) is believed to affect this giraffe,\u201d Dr. Campling explained.<\/p>\n

She said the virus is spread through direct contact \u2014 in this case, likely via oxpecker birds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this instance, it is assumed that oxpecker birds, landing on the giraffe and pecking at their naturally occurring parasites, spread the disease from one animal to the other. In this case, the whole herd is normal apart from this one animal, as was the case when this disease had been spotted previously.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the disease may look shocking, it isn\u2019t deadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany cases of BPV are self-limiting and can heal with the animal recovering completely,\u201d Dr. Campling said. \u201cThere is no treatment for this disease in giraffes, and wildlife vets closely monitor the situation. Thankfully, this version cannot be passed on to people, although the Human Papilloma Virus occurs in humans.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Gemma Camping says: \u201dWhilst it is not a life threatening disease, it no doubt causes discomfort when the lumps become as advanced as this.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to say exactly how much pain the giraffe was in, but it\u2019s heartbreaking to think she has to live with this. Despite the noticeable lumps, she was calmly grazing \u2014 seemingly unaffected by her condition. Still, the photos touched many hearts online, sparking a wave of empathy, wonder, and curiosity from thousands of viewers.<\/p>\n

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