A Life Changing 14 Minutes with a Giraffe

by Tim L. Tetzlaff,
Director of Conservation,
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Dart’s in! I check my watch. It’s 11:34 a.m. Veterinarian Dr. Sara Ferguson, Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s (GCF) Conservation Health Coordinator, maneuvers her truck away from the giraffe through the grasses of Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park. Now we wait for signs that the tranquilizer is taking effect. Time passes. Cape buffalo graze nearby. Behind us, the waters of the Nile flow on toward Egypt.

11:41 a.m. It’s time. The next minutes are a blur. Sara drives up. Six of us burst from every part of the truck into the open savanna. We’re grasping onto a single, thick, smooth rope. Three sprint in front of the giraffe raising one end of the rope across the chest as we hold the other end. We run alongside and then guide the giraffe down when it stops. Then things speed up even faster: Secure the head. Put the blinder on the eyes. Find the dart. Reverse the drug. Free the rope. Rub cooling water on her. Watch those kicking legs. Bring the bolt cutters.

Yes. Bolt cutters. We’re here because a wire snare is relentlessly carving its way into her leg. Poachers snare antelope to sell the meat – and giraffes, lions, and chimpanzees are among the many other animals inadvertently caught in the cruel traps.

It’s 11:45. The wire is out. Dr. Ferguson now cleans the wound and applies a topical antiseptic to the gruesome flesh and injects a long lasting antibiotic. Then we take the blinder off and pull back. The giraffe snaps upright, takes a few steps. Then she runs free of her cruel tether. It’s 11:48 a.m. I breathe again. It’s a life changing day for that giraffe.

A few years later over lunch in Everglades City, Dr. Ferguson shared a then recent story of translocating eight West African giraffes through Niger when the US State Department listed it as “Level 4 Do Not Travel” country. The convoy she led required armed escorts with mounted .50 caliber guns as part of this effort to create a safety net population as a hedge against losing the last few hundred of this endangered subspecies.

To advance efforts like these, Naples Zoo fully funds the annual salary of Dr. Ferguson who supports GCF’s work in 20 countries. Operations like these share a common thread: they rely on medications like antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Yet wildlife veterinarians face a significant challenge. Most dosages for exotic species are based on extrapolations from domestic animals, which don’t always align. For example, zoo researchers discovered a giraffe’s unique physiology metabolized one drug in 48 hours that typically takes 4 months in cattle.

So at the request of Dr. Ferguson, I set about creating a working group that has now initiated two pharmacokinetic studies which will confirm dosages and understand how log drugs remain effective–one of these studies is being led by Naples Zoo veterinarian Dr. Kelsie Stovall. With giraffes trained for voluntary blood draws at multiple accredited zoos, we can gather data that would be impossible to collect in the wild. This research not only supports life saving interventions in Africa, but also improves the care of our giraffes.

If you’d like to see the work of Giraffe Conservation Foundation in the wilds of Namibia and Botswana, check the itinerary at www.napleszoo.org/travel and join me and GCF co-founders in October 2025 for an exclusive boutique safari for just five couples tracking giraffes across Etosha National Park, exploring the Skeleton Coast’s dramatic dunes, and experiencing the wildlife rich Okavango Delta.

Every visit to Naples Zoo, donation, and participant on a conservation safari contributes to this ongoing story. Together, we’re ensuring that giraffes continue to roam Africa’s savannas for generations to come.

To learn more or support these efforts, visit NaplesZoo.org/conserve

Together, we can create a brighter, more resilient future for people and wildlife.

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit entrusted with educating families and caring for rare species in a century old historic garden. Since 2014, Naples Zoo has invested over $3.5 million saving plants and animals in the wild and fully funds the annual salary of 27 field staff in 7 countries including three wildlife veterinarians. To learn more about how you can invest in a better future for people and wildlife, email tim@napleszoo.org.