Schoolchildren worldwide may now have more African animals to memorize: Four species of giraffe could roam the continent, a new study says. Until now the consensus has been that there’s just one giraffe species, with nine subspecies. But the authors of the study claim they’ve uncovered clear genetic differences among four populations of the long-necked […]
Tag: giraffe
POLL: Should the killing of giraffes be outlawed?
Documentary filmmaker David Hamlin recalls the adrenalin rush when he was flying over the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Garamba National Park in late June and spotted three giraffes standing in a small clearing. “Seeing these giraffes from the air was really exciting,” says Hamlin, who was on assignment for National Geographic. “Seeing them anywhere […]
POLL: Should the trophy hunting of giraffes be banned?
A big-game trophy collector from Idaho has been criticised by animal rights activists over online images of herself posed with the carcasses of a giraffe and other wildlife she killed during a recent guided hunt in South Africa. Sabrina Corgatelli, an accountant for Idaho State University, appeared on NBC’s Today show on Monday to defend […]
Inside the Fight to Stop Giraffes’ ‘Silent Extinction’
Giraffe researcher Julian Fennessy recently boarded a helicopter in Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park, which borders the turbulent new nation of South Sudan. His mission: To collar giraffes and collect tissue samples from the animals, which have been rapidly disappearing from Africa in what Fennessy calls a “silent extinction.” After successfully handling one of the Gambella […]
World’s first all-female patrol protecting South Africa’s rhinos
The battle against the poaching that kills a rhino every seven hours in South Africa has acquired a new weapon: women. The Black Mambas are all young women from local communities, and they patrol inside the Greater Kruger national park unarmed. Billed as the first all-female unit of its kind in the world, they are […]
Giraffe Sunburst
I’ve been making a point of sharing some photos of ungulates on my blog and Facebook page recently. It’s so easy to share the photos of the iconic big cats, other predators, elephants and rhinos. But many people have more appreciation for the lesser-known forms of life in the bush and actually enjoy seeing photos […]
A Kettle of Vultures in a Poisonous Mix
Increasingly today, East Africa is one of the few places one is likely to have the visceral experience of witnessing vultures crowded over newly found carrion, competing to quickly and efficiently render it to a few large bones and fur. Sadly it is precisely this astonishing ability to fly with ease across seasons and countries, […]
Join the 1st World Giraffe Day and help save these gentle giants
Giraffe population has declined by 40% over the last 15 years. Less than 80.000 exist in the wild today. In Africa, for every giraffe there are 5 elephants. Habitat loss, disease and poaching are decimating these gentle giants at a worrying pace. Urgent action is necessary to protect these extraordinary animals. You can act now! […]