Giraffe documentary hosted by David Attenborough. In this documentary we take a look at one of the more gentle creates of Africa; the Giraffe. Giraffa Camelopardalis as it is scientifically known is the tallest mammal living on land, with a long neck, camel shaped body and a colour much like the leopard. There is much we know about the species and a lot we have to learn, one thing we do know is they are disappearing from the face of the Earth at an alarming rate which is exactly what Dr. Julian Fennessy is hoping to reveal in the film as he embarks on a daring mission across the African savannahs and beyond the Nile river to find out more about the top 20 of the most rare of the Giraffe, the future of which seems to have been overlooked.
As a Herbivore the Giraffes primary source of food is acacia leaves which they are able to reach due to their longs neck, a great advantage of their shorter herbivorous rivals. Giraffe are by no means close to the top of the food chain in Africa and are preyed upon for the most part by lions however, it has also been documented that the young are prey for African wild dogs, spotted hyenas and leopards. Despite not being high up the food chain Giraffe show high intelligence and have a social order within large groups, often established by males “necking”, a duel where their huge necks are used as weapons to battle for victory.
Due to their strange appearance Giraffe have appeared in the artwork of cultures both modern and ancient, in the form of books paintings, films and various other mediums. The humans love for this animal is clear however they are still found in some game reserves which many people view as a shame since the species is officially classified as endangered. Conservation work exists for this amazing creature but the documentary highlights that we should put a lot more effort into preserving its existence for the future.
