If you have pets, you already know that diseases and conditions can affect animals in much the same was as they can humans.

A wildlife photographer was the first to spot this giraffe in Kruger National Park in South Africa, and experts believe it has a form of papillomavirus.

Marius Nortje shared the images of the skin nodules covering the giraffe, from it’s head all the way down its legs. Worldwide Vets shared them, along with the likely explanation, on their Facebook page.

“This skin disease is caused by a papillomavirus. There are many types of papillomavirus, each affecting their own species. However, it is believed it is the cow variation (bovine papillomavirus, or BPV) that is affecting these giraffe. The same virus also infects horses to cause sarcoids.”

The disease isn’t life threatening, but there’s also no real treatment. The virus is spread from giraffe to giraffe, or sometimes from an oxpecker bird to a giraffe while removing ticks or other parasites from the skin.

Dr. Gemma Campling from Worldwide Vets told IFLScience they have seen affected giraffes before now.

“In 2007 in the same area, two giraffes showed the same lumps on their skin. With fear the disease may spread very fast, they were humanely euthanized and samples sent for research. DNA of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) was confirmed. In 2017, a new species of papillomavirus was found in South African giraffes, this time one which normal affects deer in America. Essentially these infectious diseases that normally affect other species, are finding a way to infect giraffes.”

Wildlife vets are monitoring the animal, but have no plans to euthanize the infected giraffe at this time.

It does look like it would be uncomfortable, though.

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