Baby giraffe walks for first time after special shoes cure 'back-to-front' feet

You would not expect the tallest creature on the planet to need a set of heels, but this baby giraffe had to wear special customised ‘shoes’ for more than a year after being born with ‘back-to-front’ rear feet.

Now, thanks to the pioneering treatment, young Hope has walked unaided for the first time in her life.

The African mammal was born with a rare deformity called hyperextended fetlocks, meaning each rear foot was bent forwards – the equivalent of humans walking on their ankles rather than their heels.

Zoo vet Joseph Kramer fitted her with plywood shoes with extended ‘heels’ and an artificial tendon glued to the bottom of her rear hooves.

Hope wore them for 12 months while her front tendons stretched enough to let her walk unaided.

It was the first time the procedure had been carried out on a giraffe. She is now happy at home in Topeka Zoo, Kansas, where a spokesman said: ‘It is fantastic to see Hope walking completely normally now. One of her favourite things to do is chase squirrels and birds.

‘Right from the beginning, her mum, Dolly, was so supportive. We had to separate Hope from her mum while the procedure was carried out but she watched over the fence the whole time.’
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/870041-baby-giraffe-walks-for-first-time-after-special-shoes-cure-back-to-front-feet

Lightning bolt kills Wild At Heart giraffe (via Dawn Holloway)

A giraffe that appeared on the ITV drama Wild At Heart has died after being struck by a bolt of lightning.


Producer Nick Goding said cast and crew are heartbroken following the sudden death of "playful and charming" Hamley.

The seven-year-old had featured in the show for five years and had already appeared in scenes that were shot for the forthcoming series.

The thunderstorm, which killed Hamley, took place on Monday on the Glen Afric reserve in South Africa.

The series stars Stephen Tompkinson and Dawn Steele as newlyweds Danny and Alice Trevanion.

The cast did not witness the incident, as they were away from the reserve filming scenes elsewhere.

"We are all desperately upset about the passing of Hamley, who has been part of the Wild At Heart family for five years," said Goding.

"It was a natural disaster, but nevertheless heartbreaking for everyone who has been involved with him - he was a real character.

"Our wildlife is very much at the heart of the series - Hamley was a gentle, playful and charming animal. He will be greatly missed by everybody."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11718785

Lightning bolt kills Wild At Heart giraffe (via Dawn Holloway)

A giraffe that appeared on the ITV drama Wild At Heart has died after being struck by a bolt of lightning.


Producer Nick Goding said cast and crew are heartbroken following the sudden death of "playful and charming" Hamley.

The seven-year-old had featured in the show for five years and had already appeared in scenes that were shot for the forthcoming series.

The thunderstorm, which killed Hamley, took place on Monday on the Glen Afric reserve in South Africa.

The series stars Stephen Tompkinson and Dawn Steele as newlyweds Danny and Alice Trevanion.

The cast did not witness the incident, as they were away from the reserve filming scenes elsewhere.

"We are all desperately upset about the passing of Hamley, who has been part of the Wild At Heart family for five years," said Goding.

"It was a natural disaster, but nevertheless heartbreaking for everyone who has been involved with him - he was a real character.

"Our wildlife is very much at the heart of the series - Hamley was a gentle, playful and charming animal. He will be greatly missed by everybody."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11718785

Rothschild's giraffe threatened by extinction

August 2010: The Rothschild's giraffe is the latest charismatic African mammal to be declared "Endangered" by IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature), adding to the growing number of species under threat of extinction.


There are currently nine recognised giraffe sub-species and the Rothschild's is the second most imperilled, with fewer than 670 of them remaining in the wild. Historically ranging across western Kenya, Uganda, and southern Sudan, it has been almost totally eliminated from most of its former range and now survives in only a few small and isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda.


In Kenya, all known wild populations of Rothschild's giraffe have been eradicated by agricultural development and remnant populations are confined to National Parks, private properties and other protected areas. These remaining populations are physically isolated from one another making it impossible for them to interbreed and population growth is further hindered as a result of the closed nature of these conservation areas which have reached or exceeded carrying capacities.


A first in giraffe conservation
Sixty per cent of the world's remaining wild population of Rothschild's giraffe are found in Kenya (with the remainder in Uganda), a country that has recently shown its commitment to giraffe conservation. With the launch of a National Giraffe Conservation Strategy, the first giraffe-focussed conservation action plan of its kind, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is leading the way. This strategy will work to conserve all three of the giraffe sub-species found in Kenya, in particular the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Its development marks a first in giraffe conservation and raises awareness of the significance of, and urgent need to conserve these animals.

Despite low population figures and an ‘Endangered' status, little is known about the ecology and behaviour of Rothschild's giraffe in the wild, an issue that must be addressed if we are to develop and implement effective conservation strategies. To this end the Rothschild's Giraffe Project was launched in Spring 2010. This project seeks to provide the first scientific review of Rothschild's behaviour and ecology in the wild, and provide information about key ecological and habitat requirements necessary for the development and implementation of meaningful conservation initiatives.


Let's act before it is too late
Dr Julian Fennessy, well known in African conservation circles for his pioneering work in giraffe conservation, comments: ‘I am delighted and, of course, saddened at the same time that the Rothschild giraffe has finally made the IUCN Red List status. We have been striving for this for a while now and hope this will highlight to the world the critical state its tallest creature is in. As the second giraffe sub-species (of 9 known) to now be listed as endangered, we all have our work cut out to form sound conservation strategies to improve the situation in the short, medium and long term. The whole thrust of our work here is to put strategies in place BEFORE it is too late - extinction is simply not an option'

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is actively supporting the Rothschild's Giraffe Project as well as other giraffe research across Africa. These include the provision of technical support and funding, sharing data and results for a comprehensive approach to giraffe conservation.


http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/giraffe-extinction.html

Rothschild's giraffe threatened by extinction

August 2010: The Rothschild's giraffe is the latest charismatic African mammal to be declared "Endangered" by IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature), adding to the growing number of species under threat of extinction.


There are currently nine recognised giraffe sub-species and the Rothschild's is the second most imperilled, with fewer than 670 of them remaining in the wild. Historically ranging across western Kenya, Uganda, and southern Sudan, it has been almost totally eliminated from most of its former range and now survives in only a few small and isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda.


In Kenya, all known wild populations of Rothschild's giraffe have been eradicated by agricultural development and remnant populations are confined to National Parks, private properties and other protected areas. These remaining populations are physically isolated from one another making it impossible for them to interbreed and population growth is further hindered as a result of the closed nature of these conservation areas which have reached or exceeded carrying capacities.


A first in giraffe conservation
Sixty per cent of the world's remaining wild population of Rothschild's giraffe are found in Kenya (with the remainder in Uganda), a country that has recently shown its commitment to giraffe conservation. With the launch of a National Giraffe Conservation Strategy, the first giraffe-focussed conservation action plan of its kind, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is leading the way. This strategy will work to conserve all three of the giraffe sub-species found in Kenya, in particular the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Its development marks a first in giraffe conservation and raises awareness of the significance of, and urgent need to conserve these animals.

Despite low population figures and an ‘Endangered' status, little is known about the ecology and behaviour of Rothschild's giraffe in the wild, an issue that must be addressed if we are to develop and implement effective conservation strategies. To this end the Rothschild's Giraffe Project was launched in Spring 2010. This project seeks to provide the first scientific review of Rothschild's behaviour and ecology in the wild, and provide information about key ecological and habitat requirements necessary for the development and implementation of meaningful conservation initiatives.


Let's act before it is too late
Dr Julian Fennessy, well known in African conservation circles for his pioneering work in giraffe conservation, comments: ‘I am delighted and, of course, saddened at the same time that the Rothschild giraffe has finally made the IUCN Red List status. We have been striving for this for a while now and hope this will highlight to the world the critical state its tallest creature is in. As the second giraffe sub-species (of 9 known) to now be listed as endangered, we all have our work cut out to form sound conservation strategies to improve the situation in the short, medium and long term. The whole thrust of our work here is to put strategies in place BEFORE it is too late - extinction is simply not an option'

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is actively supporting the Rothschild's Giraffe Project as well as other giraffe research across Africa. These include the provision of technical support and funding, sharing data and results for a comprehensive approach to giraffe conservation.


http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/giraffe-extinction.html

Mother Giraffe Kills Woman With Kick In Neck

A woman has died after being kicked by a giraffe while walking her dogs in a South African game reserve.

Merike Engelbrecht was out with her pets in the northeastern province of Limpopo when one of the dogs ran towards a herd of giraffes.

As she tried to retrieve the animal, the 25-year-old was kicked in the neck by one of the frightened giraffes.

The powerful blow killed her.

It is believed the animal felt threatened by the dogs and was trying to protect its calf which was nearby.

Ms Engelbrecht's brother Hannes Visser told the Afrikaans newspaper Beeld that his family had gone to the game farm together to celebrate his mother's 50th birthday and Mother's Day, which in South Africa was on Sunday.

The woman's relatives only realised what had happened when one of her German Shorthaired Pointers returned to the lodge with its lead still attached.

After searching the reserve, they found her body in a field.

Although giraffes are usually docile animals that live on leaves and do not hunt, their strong legs mean they are able to deliver crushing blows that can be fatal.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Giraffe-Kills-Woman-By-Kicking-Her-In-Neck-In-Game-Reserve-In-Limpopo-South-Africa/Article/201005215631029?f=rss

Zookeeper injured in head-butt with giraffe

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A zookeeper has been treated at a hospital for minor head injuries and released after butting heads with a giraffe.

A spokesperson for the Roger Williams Park Zoo told The Providence Journal that the 18-foot(5 1/2-meter)-tall giraffe was being playful and took a swipe at the keeper when she was cleaning up in a space between the exhibit and the public viewing area Saturday.

The keeper remained conscious and was able to walk to safety.

Spokesperson Jan Mariani said the 20-year-old Griffy is not an aggressive animal but likes to get close to people and get his head petted.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2010/03/27/13381201-ap.html

'Miscommunication' led to giraffe remains in trash

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibSpz2vzwASD-7ThZ0z023G3m2EQD9EMJ87O0
'Miscommunication' led to giraffe remains in trash
(AP) – 3 hours ago

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque city officials blamed miscommunication for the remains of a Rio Grande Zoo giraffe being placed in a trash bin.

A memo Friday from a city official to Mayor Richard Berry said it was not an act of insubordination or disrespect but appears to be the result of unfortunate miscommunication between the zoo manager and an employee.

Berry ordered an investigation after learning about the remains of 16-year-old Kashka. The giraffe was euthanized at the zoo last week after a debilitating leg injury.

The zoo said large animals are dismembered before necropsy, with remains then going to the landfill for burial in a special area set aside for animals.

The report by Betty Rivera, director of the city department that oversees the zoo, said an employee told a manager no dump truck was available to take the animal to the landfill.

The manager said the employee could put the remains in an "open top" as long as the material was covered.

The manager thought "open top" referred to a large pickup truck, while the employee believed it meant a trash container, Rivera explained.

Reports indicate the zoo and a landfill are reviewing procedures and will ensure employees are trained.

Look at this animal magic

RIGHT: TALK TO THE ANIMALS: Carl and Jennifer Wyatt with a couple of tapirs at Dudley Zoological Gardens.

6:20pm Friday 12th March 2010

ANIMAL fans Carl and Jennifer Wyatt, of Droitwich, became zoo keepers for the day at Dudley Zoological Gardens.

The couple chose to work with rare lemurs as part of the Keeper for a Day experience run by the award-winning tourist attraction. Mr Wyatt said: “I had a really great day.” Keepers get to discover what happens behind the scenes at the gardens and help staff clean, care and feed endangered species. This is followed by learning more about the zoo’s larger animals, including giraffes and Sumatran tigers.

Dudley Zoological Gardens chief executive Peter Suddock said: “Not only is it a unique day to remember, working alongside some of the rarest animals in the world, but funds raised through the scheme support exciting conservation and animal projects at DZG.”

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/local/5058826.Look_at_this_animal_magic/?ref=rss

Giraffe meets meerkat

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/010/02/19/ - p33

Dublin Zoo's latest arrival is a female giraffe calf

Click to enlarge

Metro Ireland, 17 December 2009, p2.

Dublin Zoo's latest arrival is a female giraffe calf

Click to enlarge

Metro Ireland, 17 December 2009, p2.

Giraffe suffers from crick in the neck

A giraffe in a US zoo has been pictured suffering from what looks like an agonising crick in the neck

Published: 8:34AM GMT 26 Nov 2009

Five-year-old Amali from Tulsa Zoo, Arizona, suffered the unfortunate bend in transit from The Wilds park in Ohio.

It is feared that the hook might never be cured.

Since undergoing treatment from Tulsa Zoo's resident vet Dr Kay Backues, Amali has been kept in medical quarantine since her arrival on October 18.

The 11-foot tall female giraffe is not thought to be in any pain and staff at Tulsa Zoo are hoping the crick corrects itself naturally.

"When Amali the giraffe walked off the trailer into her new home she could walk, eat and manoeuvre normally," said Dr. Backues.

"Amali was initially treated for muscle fatigue and possible soft tissue trauma.

"We are using medications a human might use if they strained their neck or back, such as non-steroidal ant-inflammatories similar to ibuprofen, muscle relaxers, pain relievers (analgesics) and a vitamin supplement.

"These treatments have appeared to make her more comfortable, but further diagnostics are being planned to determine the extent of the injury.

"She is due to have an x-ray next week after the Thanksgiving holiday.

A giraffes neck is designed with strong ligaments and elongated bones that give it the ability to browse higher on trees in the wild than other animals.

However, in Amali's case the unique support system of the head and neck that gives them this advantage is a delicate alignment that is susceptible to injury by muscle fatigue, or ligament and tendon trauma.

Under constant medical surveillance Amali is adjusting well to her new environment.

Amali, whose name means "hope" in Swahili, will remain in quarantine and under veterinary care as the Tulsa Zoo develops options for her treatment.

She continues to function and act normally and zoo staff hope after more recovery time, she, too, will join her new herd on exhibit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6659950/Giraffe-suffers-from-crick-in-the-neck.html

Giraffe suffers from crick in the neck

A giraffe in a US zoo has been pictured suffering from what looks like an agonising crick in the neck

Published: 8:34AM GMT 26 Nov 2009

Five-year-old Amali from Tulsa Zoo, Arizona, suffered the unfortunate bend in transit from The Wilds park in Ohio.

It is feared that the hook might never be cured.

Since undergoing treatment from Tulsa Zoo's resident vet Dr Kay Backues, Amali has been kept in medical quarantine since her arrival on October 18.

The 11-foot tall female giraffe is not thought to be in any pain and staff at Tulsa Zoo are hoping the crick corrects itself naturally.

"When Amali the giraffe walked off the trailer into her new home she could walk, eat and manoeuvre normally," said Dr. Backues.

"Amali was initially treated for muscle fatigue and possible soft tissue trauma.

"We are using medications a human might use if they strained their neck or back, such as non-steroidal ant-inflammatories similar to ibuprofen, muscle relaxers, pain relievers (analgesics) and a vitamin supplement.

"These treatments have appeared to make her more comfortable, but further diagnostics are being planned to determine the extent of the injury.

"She is due to have an x-ray next week after the Thanksgiving holiday.

A giraffes neck is designed with strong ligaments and elongated bones that give it the ability to browse higher on trees in the wild than other animals.

However, in Amali's case the unique support system of the head and neck that gives them this advantage is a delicate alignment that is susceptible to injury by muscle fatigue, or ligament and tendon trauma.

Under constant medical surveillance Amali is adjusting well to her new environment.

Amali, whose name means "hope" in Swahili, will remain in quarantine and under veterinary care as the Tulsa Zoo develops options for her treatment.

She continues to function and act normally and zoo staff hope after more recovery time, she, too, will join her new herd on exhibit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6659950/Giraffe-suffers-from-crick-in-the-neck.html

Tall story: Scientists fail to get to the bottom of giraffe evolution

Thursday, 14 May 2009

Did you know?

For centuries experts have argued over how the giraffe got its long neck.

Some said it helped the giraffe feed on leaves other animals cannot, while some suggested it evolved as a consequence of giraffes evolving long legs.

But evidence for such ideas remains flimsy. Now one of the more recent hypotheses has also bitten the dust.

Giraffes did not grow elaborately long necks as a sexual signal, scientists have shown, leaving its origins a mystery.

In the journal Zoology, Professor Graham Mitchell of the University of Wyoming, in Laramie, US, and colleagues Professor John Skinner and Dr S J van Sittert of the University of Pretoria in South Africa report that there is still no consensus on the origin of the giraffe's neck.

The theory which most support, they say, is that the neck confers a feeding advantage, allowing the giraffe to reach leaves beyond more numerous smaller browsers such as gazelles or antelope.

Research has shown that having a long neck does confer an advantage when the lower leaves of trees have already been eaten, while it also helps giraffes reach more inaccessible leaves in the centre of low trees.

But giraffes tend to prefer particular types of leaves rather than leaves at particular heights, suggesting that competition for different leaves may not have naturally selected strongly for longer necks.

Another hypothesis is that giraffes evolved longer legs to run away from predators and needed an equally long neck to reach the ground to drink.

Sexually attractive?

More recently, another popular idea emerged: that sexual selection, rather than natural selection, drove the evolution of the giraffe's neck.

The idea is that down the generations, males evolved ever longer necks to dominate rivals for the affections of female giraffes. The fact the male giraffes uniquely wrestle for dominance by "necking" and "head clubbing" one another, with males with the longest necks and heaviest heads tending to win, has been forwarded as evidence to support the hypothesis.

So Professor Mitchell and his colleagues decided to put the sexual selection hypothesis to the test by examining 17 male and 21 female giraffes.

If long necks were a sexually selected trait, they expected to find a number of things:

Long necks should be more exaggerated in males than females
They should evolve to be bigger in size more than other parts of a giraffe's body
They should confer no immediate benefit to survival, and may come at a cost
Their results didn't support any of these propositions.

They could find no significant differences in the relative size of male or female necks.

What's more, although giraffes do invest more in growing their necks than other body parts as they grow, both sexes do so equally.

And there is little evidence that a large neck is costly to male giraffes, as generally male giraffes are no more vulnerable to predators than females.

It will never be possible to conclusively prove what advantages selected for longer necked giraffes, say the researchers.

But they can say that any advantages that were gained don't appear to have been sexual in nature. "Better explanations for neck elongation must be sought elsewhere," they write.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8050000/8050298.stm

Giraffe, the new star at city zoo

HYDERABAD: The ground is being flattened and the moat is getting ready. After left abandoned for more than a decade, the enclosure at Nehru Zoological Park is being given a facelift to welcome an occupant, a giraffe.

The zoo which despite boasting a wide array of wildlife did not have either a giraffe or zebra is getting the former by May 1. Being acquired under animal exchange programme from Delhi zoo, the giraffe is to be brought by road so as to reach here by this month-end.

“Since its vacation time for schools and children visit us in large numbers, we are trying to make it available by May 1,” says K.Bhoopal Reddy, zoo director. While a male giraffe is coming now, its mate is expected to be brought here in six months time.

Under the exchange, the Delhi zoo is also giving a pair of blue and yellow Macaw and a pair of red jungle fowl and in return, receiving a pair of Asiatic lion and pairs of silver and golden Pheasants from the Nehru Zoological Park.

Meanwhile, the zoo here has also decided on acquiring zebra and is likely to get it ‘straight from the market’. According to Mr. Reddy, a pair might cost around Rs.4 lakh and the idea is to bring at least two pairs here. Another animal missing at the zoo is rhinoceros, the last having succumbed to cancer recently, and efforts are on to find a replacement, he says.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/24/stories/2009042458480300.htm