Giraffe have been misunderstood and are just as socially complex as elephants, study says Female giraffes have long-term relationships with other females and their own offspring, the study found. "(CNN)With their crane-like necks, spindle legs and knobbly knees, giraffes are among the best loved and most recognizable of animals". "Despite their elevated stature, however, giraffes have kept their surprisingly intricate social behavior under wraps". "Once perceived as humble creatures that focused solely on feeding their majestic bodies, one book from 1991 described the giraffe as "socially aloof, forming no lasting bonds with its fellows and associating in the most casual way." But new research from the University of Bristol, published Tuesday in the journal Mammal Review, suggests giraffes have been misunderstood and are in fact a highly complex and social species". (Read More)
"Everyone loves giraffes, but what do we really know about them? It’s ironic that the life of one of the world’s most identifiable and popular wild animals the giraffe, is still something of a mystery. As these giants began to be studied it was revealed that they don’t need to drink in the desert because they can get enough water just eating leaves. Another important finding is the role giraffes play as pollinators and seed spreaders which is vital to maintaining healthy landscapes in many parts of Africa". Giraffes - Wild Africa | Giraffe Behaviour and Lifestyle Habitat (2017)
Giraffic Park ....."the camp had built some bamboo giraffes for camp frontage but they were scrapped at the end of that year for a number of reasons: They were hard to assemble, not very stable, and difficult to reuse". (READ MORE) Camp members in 2017
Dr. Anne Innis Dagg is a zoologist, author and a feminist and is the subject of Alison Reid's award-winning documentary - The Woman Who Loves Giraffes. "Dr Anne it is a very admirable scientist. I’m glad that she gets her due, even if it’s many years late. I hope history remembers her as the strong pioneer biologist that she always was, and be an inspiration for the next generations of women in science".
Giraffe Houses of the Ozarks "The Ozark Mountain area of south central Missouri, northern Arkansas and parts of Oklahoma has always been home to resourceful people who know how to build things with their hands. In fact, these hard scrabble folks had been “making-do” long before the Great Depression. These people were largely cut off from city life, and kept the culture of their forebearers for generations. Often called “hillbillies,” many of these people made their own houses, quilts, soap, clothes and were self-sustaining out of necessity. As post-war America saw more and more expansion into the area by the growing migratory population, people with construction skills building houses, businesses and churches were in high demand. And if you drive through the Ozarks today, many of these structures show the idiosyncratic signs of their makers — a quirky roofline here, and odd porch detail there — or if in stone, details can be seen that showcased an aesthetic choice by the builder". Read More
Giraffe Facts: Habitat, Behavior, Diet Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are quadrupeds, four-legged hooved mammals who roam the savannas and woodlands of Africa. Their long necks, richly patterned coats, and stubby ossicones on their heads make them the most easily recognizable of all the animals on earth. (READ MORE)
(From the link above) It's unclear what the purpose of ossicones are; they may help males to intimidate one another during mating season, or males with more impressive ossicones may be more attractive to females...