WONKY-NECKED GIRAFFE DEFIES THE ODDS AND THRIVES SIX YEARS ON<br />WITH PIX AND VID<br />By Shuk Yee Tsang<br />A giraffe with a dramatically crooked neck has been found alive and well six years after he was last seen in the wild.<br />Philip J. Briggs, a 42-year-old conservationist and photographer based in Amboseli, Kenya, captured the recent photos and video near Imbirikani, east of the Chyulu Hills in southern Kenya.<br />The giraffe, known as Wonkiito, was last documented in 2019 and was feared dead due to his severely deformed neck, believed to be caused by scoliosis or an old injury. But he has not only <br />survived, but he’s also thriving in 2025.<br />Briggs was tipped off by an animal foundation about a possible sighting and set off before dawn, driving over 200 km<br />Philip spent countless hours tracking for hours before finding the giraffe about six kilometres from the previous day’s location.<br />Now visibly darker in coat, sign of maturity in adult males Wonkiito was seen with a large group of females and calves, suggesting he may even be the dominant bull in the area. <br />His continued survival through Kenya’s devastating 2022 drought and in a lion-rich landscape makes his story all the more remarkable.<br />The giraffe has become a symbol of resilience and coexistence in Amboseli, where conservation organisations and local Maasai communities work together to protect wildlife across community <br />lands.<br />Philip taps in the voice of the giraffe. <br />Philip said: “You can bend me, but you cannot break me.<br />“It was surreal. I honestly didn’t expect to see him again, let alone looking so strong.<br />“His survival is a testament to Amboseli’s conservation success, built on peaceful coexistence between wildlife and the Maasai people.<br />“He truly still is the ‘Kink of the Jungle.’<br />“Seeing him move comfortably among wildlife and Maasai livestock underscores the powerful coexistence at work here.<br />“I came fully prepared to spend a week searchingbut found him on the first day. That was incredibly lucky.<br />“People who knew about his unique story from 2019 are just as amazed and inspired as I am.”<br />END
