Outlines of wildlife conservation in Angola
A review of the history and present status of wildlife conservation in the Portuguese west African state of Angola is presented. The geomorphology, geology, climate and major biogeographic divisions are briefly described and the history of wildlife legislation and administration reviewed. The present status of existing conservation areas, wildlife utilization, threatened ecosystems and rare species […]
The Giraffe Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour (Book)
In one form or another, giraffes have been around for a very long time. And so has Homo sapiens. The interaction between giraffes and humans starts way back in prehistory, and rock art (paintings and engravings) is found all over Africa from Morocco, Algeria and Libya in the north, through Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania […]
The past distribution of giraffe in Zululand and its implications for reserve management
The evidence for the past distribution of giraffe in Zululand is critically re-examined. On the basis of this, it is concluded that the probability of giraffe having ever occurred in Zululand prior to their introduction is extremely small. As a consequence of this, and according to the definition of an indigenous species favoured by us, […]
Necks for sex: sexual selection as an explanation for sauropod dinosaur neck elongation
The immensely long neck of a sauropod is one of the most familiar and striking of anatomical specializations among dinosaurs. Here, I use recently collected neontological and paleontological information to test the predictions of two competing hypotheses proposed to explain the significance of the long neck. According to the traditional hypothesis, neck elongation in sauropods […]
The origins of the scientific study and classification of giraffes
Giraffes have been known for many thousands of years from rock art and Egyptian artefacts, displayed by Roman emperors at games and triumphs between 46BC and AD274, and briefly exhibited in the zoos of the Italian City States in the 15th Century, yet they remained in the realm of mythology until, in 1764, Ryk Tulbagh, […]
The past distribution of giraffe in KwaZulu-Natal
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) are though to be introduced aliens in KwaZulu-Natal, an area in which they flourish today. This perception was based on lack of reference to sightings of giraffe in early colonial literature and the lack of giraffe remains in archeological sites within KwaZulu-Natal. We have reviewed the literature and found no reliable reference […]
Wilfred Thesiger – The life of my choice
Wilfred Thesiger is the last of the great British eccentric explorers, renowned for his travels through some of the most inaccessible places on earth. As a child in Abyssinia he watched the glorious armies of Ras Tafari returning from hand-to-hand battle, their prisoners in chains; at the age of 23 he made his first expedition […]
West Africa’s last giraffes: The conflict between development and conservation
The distribution of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta Thomas 1898) has greatly diminished in West Africa, and now the last remaining population, reduced to less than 100 individuals, is found in Niger. These giraffes of West Africa are seriously threatened by extensive deforestation and clearing of their habitat. They live peacefully with humans and cattle and […]
The Giraffe
A brief general overview of the anatomy and physiology of the giraffe.