One of the most famous animal sanctuaries in the Sahel faces a troubled future after suspected jihadists murdered eight people, six of them young French aid workers.
The Koure Giraffe Reserve, located 60 kilometres (35 miles) southeast of Niger’s capital …
Eight hours of sleep would be heaven for a giraffe. The gentle and sensitive animals sleep only about four-and-a-half hours within 24 hours – and not even at a stretch.
“This is also due to their enormous size and the …
Since the mid-eighties, giraffes have been on a steady decline. Population numbers have dwindled by 40 per cent, leaving around 68,000 mature adults in the wild.
Because of the distance the blood has to travel between the giraffe’s heart and its brain or the tip of its legs, the giraffe has developed a remarkably original circulatory system. Its enormous heart (almost 11 kg or 24 lbs.) …
A group of lions is a “pride.” A bunch of birds form a “flock” (usually, anyway — some birds get special consideration). But what do you call a group of giraffes? As it turns out, the proper collective noun is …
Why do giraffes have such long necks and zebras have stripes? What does a crowd of sports fans have to do with a herd of gazelles? Have you ever shuddered in horror at the mention of the word “ratel”?