How a stuffed giraffe political stunt ignited outrage among wildlife rescuers

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has come under fire after staging a political stunt involving a stuffed giraffe head. The incident sparked outrage among wildlife rescuers who were called to a sinkhole in Mogale City, believing a live giraffe was trapped inside. Shadow MEC for Roads and Logistics Evert Du Plessis used the prop to draw attention to the sinkhole's dangers, while DA representative Tyrone Gray shared images of the giraffe prop on social media.

The Owl Rescue Centre received an urgent call about the giraffe's predicament and dispatched a team to assist. However, upon arriving in Hekpoort, they discovered the giraffe was not real, and the head had been placed there as part of the political stunt. The rescue center expressed deep disappointment, stating that using a stuffed giraffe, a once-wild animal that may have been shot and mounted, as a political prop was disrespectful and showed a lack of empathy for wildlife and biodiversity.

Moreover, the rescue team was in the midst of another emergency in Midrand when they received the call about the giraffe. They had to abandon their ongoing efforts to rush to Hekpoort, only to find out it was a political stunt, wasting precious hours that could have been spent saving actual lives.