Most people celebrating their 40th anniversary would choose a cruise or a beach vacation, but for South African couple Marius and Michelle Nortje, nothing matches a journey to the wilderness. Their love story, which had already lasted four decades, was about to take an astonishing turn deep within Kruger National Park. What began as an ordinary journey quickly became a moment the newlyweds—and the internet—would never forget.
“We go at least once a year, sometimes four times,” Marius told The Citizen.
But during their anniversary trip in December, something unusual appeared from the bush: three giraffes. And one of them was unlike anything Marius, an experienced wildlife photographer, had ever seen.
“We couldn’t see the lions on the tar road, so we took a gravel road instead, where we spotted one and then two giraffes emerging from the jungle. When the third giraffe of the herd became visible, we noticed strange growths all over her body,” he remembered.
Marius acted immediately, capturing the giraffe on video and subsequently sharing the photographs on Facebook, which sparked both fascination and anxiety.
“People wondered if she was in pain,” he told me. “However, she was grazing peacefully, and it didn’t seem to bother her, although it appeared painful.”
He also tagged the South African National Parks (SANParks) in his post to promote awareness, but as of the interview, he had yet to get a response.
An uncommon condition
Worldwide Vets, an international animal care group, shared the giraffe photographs, which gained even more popularity. According to the organization’s founder and director, Dr. Gemna Campling, the giraffe has a papillomavirus-related disease. “There are several varieties of HPV, each affecting a distinct species. However, the cow variety (Bovine Papillomavirus, or BPV) is thought to damage this giraffe,” Dr. Campling stated.
She stated that oxpecker birds, most likely, transmit the infection through direct touch.
“In this case, it is hypothesized that oxpecker birds, landing on the giraffe and pecking at their naturally existent parasites, transferred the disease from one animal to another. In this scenario, the entire herd remains normal except for this single animal, a situation similar to the earlier discovery of the sickness.
While the condition may appear frightening, it is not fatal.
“Many cases of BPV are self-limiting and can heal with the animal recovering completely,” according to Dr. Campling. “There is no therapy for this sickness in giraffes, and wildlife veterinarians are attentively monitoring the condition. Fortunately, humans cannot contract this form of BPV, unlike the human papillomavirus. However, Gemma Camping agrees: “Whilst it is not a life-threatening disease, it no doubt causes discomfort when the lumps become as advanced as this.”
It’s difficult to know how much pain the giraffe was in, but it’s sad she had to endure it. Despite the apparent lumps, she grazed gently, seemingly undisturbed by her illness. Nonetheless, the photographs touched many hearts online, eliciting feelings of empathy, amazement, and curiosity from thousands of visitors.
For Marius and Michelle, it was a powerful reminder of why they keep returning to the wild.
Sometimes, the most unforgettable moments come when you’re not looking for them. And sometimes, it takes the lens of one devoted nature lover to remind the world just how resilient — and vulnerable — wildlife can be.