Most people celebrating their 40th anniversary might opt for a cruise or a beach getaway — but for South African couple Marius and Michelle Nortje, nothing beats a trip to the wild.

Their love story, already four decades strong, was about to take an unforgettable turn deep inside Kruger National Park.

“We go at least once a year, but sometimes as much as four times,” Marius said in an interview with The Citizen.

“We couldn’t find [the lions] on the tar road and turned off on a gravel road when we first saw one and then two giraffes emerging from the bush. When the third of the herd became visible, we saw strange growths all over her body,” he recalled.

“People wondered if she was in pain,” he said. “However, she was grazing peacefully, and it didn’t seem to bother her, although it appeared painful.”

A rare condition

The giraffe’s photos gained even more traction after being picked up by WorldWide Vets, an international animal welfare organization. According to Dr. Gemna Campling, founder and director of the organization, the giraffe is suffering from a condition caused by papillomavirus.

She said the virus is spread through direct contact — in this case, likely via oxpecker birds.

While the disease may look shocking, it isn’t deadly.

However, Gemma Camping says: ”Whilst it is not a life threatening disease, it no doubt causes discomfort when the lumps become as advanced as this.”

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.