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.

What started as a routine drive turned into a moment the couple — and soon the internet — would never forget.

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

But during their anniversary trip this past December, something extraordinary emerged from the bush: three giraffes. And one of them was unlike anything Marius, a seasoned wildlife photographer, had ever seen.