Some communities know how to live among magnificent wild animals – and how to help them when they need it.

A baby giraffe in Kenya would have perished long before her time if people hadn’t come together to help her.

Stranded in the Uaso Nyiro river, the baby probably had no idea a group of human beings, loyal to the wildlife of the area, were going to do everything they could to save her life.

The baby had been stuck in the middle of the rushing river for four hours, according to a post on the Samburu Aboriginal Heritage museum forum’s Facebook page. Facebook user Baba Sue, who is involved with wildlife rangers and conservation efforts, posted the photos of the rescue on January 29.

The glimpse of the heroism of the people who came together to save a life did not go unnoticed. Just a few days later, the post was shared over a thousand times.

And for giraffes, every rescue counts, since populations have plummeted in recent years. In 1999, the population of giraffes across Africa was estimated at 140,000; today, it’s dropped to 80,000.

“Marvelous rescue mission, congrats great friend of samburu wildlife Mr Baba Sue and team,” one commenter wrote.