Abby is one of our star attraction at Areena Riverside Resort. He is a hand reared male Giraffe, and as a result he is very close and comfortable with humans. He has free reign of the 350ha property that is Areena’s Private Game Reserve and of course being a rather large creature that is designed to eat off trees. He and his herd of female giraffe roam freely over a large distance browsing on a variety of trees, shrubs and bushes.
Abby came to us from a near by game reserve at just a few months old, we were tasked with bottle feeding this relatively large baby, OR Abnormally Big BabY… A.B.B.Y and this is how he got his name. During this time he lived in Areena’s Animal Touch Farm and became good friends with the goats and the people who came to feed and touch him, this is how he became so tame.
Later Abby was released into Areena’s Private Game Reserve, where he sired many a giraffe calves, but still Abby gravitated towards the entrance of the Resort and the main road in the hopes of encountering people to give them kisses and get some treats.
His kisses are legendary and many a Facebook profile picture consists of an individual getting a sloppy kiss from Abby.
Abby is so popular that he has his own blog section on this website. We would love to receive your pictures taken with Abby or hear about your interaction with him so we can add your story to his blog. Of course the #abbykiss can only grow from here.
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We had a wonderful time at Areena. Abby was so so friendly. We came all the way from Lesotho to explore East London. The weather was also perfect for us to feed Abby. - Makamohelo
This was one of the best experiences of my life. The drive to find Abby was already so much better than expected with information about the other animals and feeding some Kudus, then we found Abby and we all got to feed him and stroke his head and neck and take pictures with him and I loved every moment. - Valérie
It was an amazing experience for me, my daughter and all the ladies. We conquered our fears and stepped outside our comfort zones. It being the first time to come that close to a non domestic animal. Abby is well trained and well behaved giraffe. Regards - Bongiwe
What a great experience for kids and adults alike. Highly recommended. - Mike
This is our third visit to see Abby and it was once again amazing. On arrival, the staff were friendly and welcoming. Tarzan was our guide and he was professional and friendly - thank you for your hard work - Charlotte
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