Is this really fun for all the family? The giraffe hunters who pay £10,000 to shoot the gentle giants with guns and bows for sport

By PAMELA OWEN

The gentle giants are tracked down and killed so tourists can take home pictures showing they have killed the animals

Tourist trophy hunters are paying thousands of pounds to go and shoot giraffes with high-powered guns and bows. The gentle giants are loved around the world for their comical appearance and gentle nature.
Just like character 'Melman' played by Friend's-star David Schwimmer in Disney's Madagascar, they are a hit with kids who love their long necks and eyelashes.
But shocking images show how scores of big-spending men and women - and even families - travel from across the globe, some even from Britain, to kill them for sport.

Entire families go on the hunts and appear to relish having their pictures taken with the dead giraffe

Hunters pay up to a whopping £10,000 for the the chance to slay them - preferring bulls because they are the biggest.
Safari clubs and game reserves ask for a £1,500 trophy fee, and then add on rates for guides and trackers costing around £1,000 per day.
The hunts typically last three-to-five days and see tourists using .458 Winchester Magnum rifles to kill the animals.
With most hunters flying to Africa from their homes in Europe or America, the costs stretch into five figures.

The animals are near extinction and are no longer found in countries like Nigeria, Mali and Angola

The hunting continues even though numbers of the animals are plummeting.
But the world's leading giraffe expert said populations in the countries where it is legal - South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe - can cope with the killings.
The latest statistic show the number of giraffes in the world have nearly halved since 1988 from over 140,000 to less than 80,000.
Dr. Julian Fennessy produced the report for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Tourist hunters often take the skin home or get taxidermists to mount the heads so they can be taken home as trophies

Another recent IUCN report suggests the giraffe may already need to be listed as a threatened species - because some populations are being decimated in places like West Africa and DR Congo.
They are already thought to be extinct in Angola, Mali and Nigeria.

The hunts typically last three-to-five days and sees tourists using .458 Winchester Magnum rifles to kill the animals

'They might have a 'second gun' in the party whose job it is to take the animal down quickly if the tourist misses.
'But hunting guides need to asses the ability of the hunter and stop the hunt if they do not have the skills to do it humanely.'
Another factors decimating the giraffe population is poaching.
'Poaching is illegal and is not licensed,' said Dr. Fennessy.
'They set wire snares at giraffe-height in the trees to snare their necks, or to trap their feet and kill them when they return.
'It leads to huge suffering for the animals, sometimes for days.'
To help the Giraffe Conservation Foundation click here visit http://www.giraffeconservation.org/

It is legal to hunt the giraffes in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia - where they have greater numbers of giraffes

source: dailymail

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Shows a baby giraffe (R) and her mother snuggling each other

This picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows a baby giraffe (R) and her mother snuggling each other over wire netting in their enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo.



This picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows a baby giraffe (C) drinking a bottle of milk in an enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo.



This picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows a baby giraffe running in her enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo.



This picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows a baby giraffe (C) standing next to her parents over wire netting in their enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo.



This picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows a baby giraffe (R) and her mother snuggling each other over wire netting in their enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo.



This picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows a baby giraffe (C) standing next to her parents over wire netting in their enclosure at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo. The baby giraffe was born on August 6 at the zoo.

source: daylife
photo: Getty images

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Rookie zookeeper quits after poisoning two giraffes, killing one

By Rachel Quigley

Poisoned: Watoto died after being fed toxic leaves from a rookie zookeeper who then quit in the wake of the male giraffe's death

A zoo official who was responsible for poisoning two giraffes, killing one, has resigned.

The unidentified apprentice at Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, accidentally mixed up the plants and gave the giraffes leaves from a deadly plant.

He was said to be 'horrified and devastated' by his mistake.


Poisoned: Female giraffe Denver was also fed the toxic leaves and is currently recovering


Scene: Reid Park Zoo in Tucson said they are putting things in place to ensure this does not happen again


Zoo officials told 9 On Your Side the apprentice accidentally mixed in the leaves of an Oleander plant with leaves from other plants and fed them to the giraffes.

Oleander can be deadly if eaten by animals.

Watoto, the zoo's only male giraffe, died July 19 after eating the toxic leaves.

The Oleander was put into two of the four giraffe stalls on Monday night.

Jim Schnormeier, the head curator at the zoo, said the next morning, Watoto acted very unusually.

He said: 'He was lethargic. He was laying down and very seldom do you see a giraffe lay down, his appetite wasn't there.

'Our philosophy is if you don't know what it is, you don't feed it. Our focus right now is trying to get our giraffe better after this crisis.'


Unscathed: The two other giraffes at Reid Park Zoo did not eat the toxic leaves and are doing fine


Zoo administrator Susan Basford said: 'We have apprentices here at the zoo and that person was not as experienced. It was mistake compounded by mistake and it's horrible.'

The apprentice was said to be part of a 12-month programme run by the zoological society and was due to run out in September.

Zoo officials said it was his own decision to resign but they did not tryu to talk him out of it.

They said he was studying to become a zoo keeper and is distraught about what happened.

Nancy Schlegel of the Zoological Society said: 'It's hard to see a young person having to go through that as well as the tragedy that all of us are feeling.'

The other giraffe, Denver, who ate the toxic leaves is said to be improving.

source: dailymail

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Zuri, a one-month old giraffe, stands in front of her father

Zuri, a one-month old giraffe, stands in front of her father, Kimba, in their outdoor yard at the Cincinnati Zoo, Thursday, May 5, 2011 in Cincinnati. Zuri was making her first appearance outside at the zoo.



Zuri, a one-month old giraffe, walks past her parents in their outdoor yard at the Cincinnati Zoo, Thursday, May 5, 2011 in Cincinnati. Zuri was making her first appearance outside at the zoo.

source: daylife
photo: AP photo

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Baby Rothschild giraffe 'Magoma' stands in front of her mother 'Koobi'

Baby Rothschild giraffe 'Magoma' stands in front of her mother 'Koobi' in their enclosure at Cologne's zoo February 22, 2011. The male baby giraffe was born on February 8, 2011, weighs about 80 kilograms and is 1.8 metre tall.




Baby Rothschild giraffe 'Magoma' drinks from her mother 'Koobi' in their enclosure at Cologne's zoo February 22, 2011. The male baby giraffe was born on February 8, 2011.



Rothschild giraffe 'Koobi' sniffs at her baby 'Magoma' in their enclosure at Cologne's zoo February 22, 2011. The male baby giraffe was born on February 8, 2011, weighs about 80 kilograms and is 1.8 metre tall.



Baby Rothschild giraffe 'Magoma' stands next to her mother 'Koobi' in their enclosure at Cologne's zoo February 22, 2011. The male baby giraffe was born on February 8, 2011.


source: daylife
photo: Reuters

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No need for a crow's nest: Giraffes keep lookout as they are ferried across river to their old stamping ground

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Like ducks to water: Four giraffes cross Lake Lake Baringo in Kenya to the native habitat they had vanished from


They are more used to plucking leaves from tall trees with their feet firmly on dry land.

But these adventurous giraffes looked every part the sailors as they floated across a lake.

The eight giraffes were being ferried from Lake Baringo in Kenya to the native habitat they had vanished from 70 years ago.

It was the first time that giraffes have been transported across water in Kenya's history.

And they made sure that they kept their head for heights by peeking above the boat's parapet to watch what was happening.

Two boats holding conservationists sailed alongside the large raft that held the giraffes to keep the boat steady.

Several more animal workers boarded the former landing craft to keep the giraffes calm as they crossed the water.


Diverse: The Ruko Game Conservancy is on 19,000 acres of land on the eastern shore of Lake Baringo


Eight of the animals, who number only a few hundred in the wild, were shipped to Ruko Game Conservancy in two groups of four. The project took four years to plan.

Ian Craig, director of the Northern Rangelands Trust, said giraffes were some of the most difficult animals to move. Lake Baringo has become famous for its wildlife.


source: dailymail

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A three-day old female baby Rotschild giraffe

A three-day old female baby Rotschild giraffe stands in front of her mother Kleopatra at the Prague Zoo on January 26, 2011 in the Czech capital.



A visitor feeds Berta, a female Rotschild giraffe, at the Prague Zoo on January 26, 2011 in the Czech capital.



A three-day old female baby Rotschild giraffe stands in her enclosure at the Prague Zoo on January 26, 2011 in the Czech capital.



A three-day old female baby Rotschild giraffe sits at the Prague Zoo on January 26, 2011 in the Czech capital.


source: daylife
photo: Gettyimages

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A real tall story: Zookeepers stunned by birth of 5ft baby giraffe after ‘secret’ pregnancy

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

You big baby: The new-born giraffe that took zookeepers by surprise when they arrived for work on Monday morning


Zoo keepers have been shocked by the birth of a 5ft baby giraffe to a mother who kept her pregnancy hidden.

The as-yet-unnamed calf was born at Paignton Zoo in Devon on Monday morning to first-time mother Sangha.

Zoo keeper Jim Dicks said: 'The birth has come as a bit of a surprise. We thought Sangha might be pregnant back in the summer, but the signs were not clear and we began to think it was a false alarm.

'Wild animals are very good at keeping this sort of thing hidden. The first we knew about it was when we found the youngster when we arrived early on Monday morning.'

Although he is Sangha's first baby following a 16-month pregnancy, his father Yoda had a calf by the zoo's other female, Janica, in February last year.

Because the first few days of a baby giraffe's life are so critical, the zookeepers prefer not to choose a name, but their shortlist is from three Swahili names - Kito (Jewel), Nakuru (waterbuck haven) and Mosi (first born), and the Czech names Jacob and Josef.


That's my boy: Proud mum Sangha who took Paignton Zoo by surprise with the birth of her as-yet unnamed calf


'All the signs are good so far,' said zoo press officer Philip Knowling.

The new arrival is expected to draw big crowds to the tourist attraction, which in 2006 tragically lost all three of its giraffes - Paddy, Kizi and their week-old calf - in a fire.

The zoo now has five Rothschild's (Baringo) giraffes, which are classified as endangered.


First-footing: The new arrival is quickly on his feet while mum Sangha, right, and father Yoda keep a watchful eye on him


Sangha, who is five and a half, arrived from Liberec Zoo in Slovakia, while six-year-old Yoda came from Givskud Zoo in Denmark.

source: dailymail

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Female giraffe Monique licks the head of her new born male cub

Female giraffe Monique licks the head of her new born male cub Tebogo at the zoo of Frankfurt, central Germany, on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. Tebogo was born during the night of Dec. 8 to 9.



Female giraffe Monique tends to her new born male cub Tebogo at the zoo of Frankfurt, central Germany, on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. Tebogo was born during the night from Dec. 8 to 9.




New born male giraffe cub Tebogo stands next to its mother Monique at the zoo of Frankfurt, central Germany, on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. Tebogo was born during the night from Dec. 8 to 9.


source: Daylife
photo: AP photo

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A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani

A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani, gets an affectionate nuzzle from her mother Naema, after being born three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Zoo, on September 24, 2010. Able to stand shortly after birth, calves can grow four feet during their first year and when fully grown can reach a height of 18 feet, making them the tallest land mammal.


Native to Kenya and Tanzania, Masai giraffes can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour with kicks so powerful that they�re capable of decapitating a lion. Giraffes communicate with one another through posturing, movement and carriage of their tails, retreat and sometimes vocalization, which includes moos, bellows and whistles.



A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani, rests near her mother Naema, after being born three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Zoo, on September 24, 2010. Able to stand shortly after birth, calves can grow four feet during their first year and when fully grown can reach a height of 18 feet, making them the tallest land mammal. Native to Kenya and Tanzania, Masai giraffes can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour with kicks so powerful that they�re capable of decapitating a lion. Giraffes communicate with one another through posturing, movement and carriage of their tails, retreat and sometimes vocalization, which includes moos, bellows and whistles.




A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani, stands beside her mother Naema, after being born three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Zoo, on September 24, 2010. Able to stand shortly after birth, calves can grow four feet during their first year and when fully grown can reach a height of 18 feet, making them the tallest land mammal. Native to Kenya and Tanzania, Masai giraffes can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour with kicks so powerful that they�re capable of decapitating a lion. Giraffes communicate with one another through posturing, movement and carriage of their tails, retreat and sometimes vocalization, which includes moos, bellows and whistles.




A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani (R), stands beside her mother Naema (L), and another juvenile (top) after being born three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Zoo, on September 24, 2010. Able to stand shortly after birth, calves can grow four feet during their first year and when fully grown can reach a height of 18 feet, making them the tallest land mammal. Native to Kenya and Tanzania, Masai giraffes can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour with kicks so powerful that they�re capable of decapitating a lion. Giraffes communicate with one another through posturing, movement and carriage of their tails, retreat and sometimes vocalization, which includes moos, bellows and whistles.




A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani, stands beside her mother Naema, after being born three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Zoo, on September 24, 2010. Able to stand shortly after birth, calves can grow four feet during their first year and when fully grown can reach a height of 18 feet, making them the tallest land mammal. Native to Kenya and Tanzania, Masai giraffes can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour with kicks so powerful that they�re capable of decapitating a lion. Giraffes communicate with one another through posturing, movement and carriage of their tails, retreat and sometimes vocalization, which includes moos, bellows and whistles.

source: Daylife
photo: Gettyimages

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Tragedy as TV's Wild At Heart giraffe Hamley is killed by bolt of lightning

By RACHEL QUIGLEY and STEWART MACLEAN

Tragedy: Seven-year-old giraffe Hamley with Stephen Tompkinson on the set of TV drama Wild At Heart


The stars of ITV drama Wild At Heart were last night mourning one of their beloved animals, Hamley the giraffe, who died after being struck by lightning.

The seven-year-old animal was killed instantly on Friday during a violent storm on the South African game reserve where the cast films the hit series.

Stephen Tompkinson, who plays vet Danny Trevanion in the series, said: ‘Hamley was the most unique of all animals and that is why we have worked so closely and why we have featured him so heavily in the series.

‘He will be missed every day on the farm as he had such a presence. I hope that, as always, he will continue to look down on us.’

Scottish actress Dawn Steele, 34, who plays the vet’s wife Alice, said: ‘Everyone is so sad here, Hamley was a huge part of the show. We still all cannot believe that he will not be wandering around set, trying to get into the make-up truck or trying to get into every scene he could!

‘I cannot express how he will be missed on Wild At Heart. He was like another actor... only taller!

‘He touched everyone’s lives, even visitors and family who joined us on set knew of the amazing Hamley. I am only glad that in his short life he left so many memories. It will not be, and is not, the same without him.’


Hamley with 'make up' neck injury with Dawn Steele. Cast and crew are said to be heartbroken following his sudden death


Elias Fono, a game ranger at the Glen Afric reserve where the series is filmed, said Hamley was roaming in a field at the private park when a thunderstorm swept in at around 5.30pm on Friday.

‘The storm was very heavy and the rain was terrible,’ he said.

‘I was on a game drive with some guests and they had asked to see Hamley because he is famous. We were driving to where he would be when the storm came right over our heads.

‘When we got there he was lying on the ground and I knew something was wrong.
‘I took the guests away and others went to see what had happened, but unfortunately nothing could be done to save him.

‘It has shocked everyone who knew Hamley. He was one of the biggest stars and his death has left a big hole. Nobody can believe what has happened.


Co-stars: Amanda Holden with a giraffe on the set
‘All of the Wild At Heart staff and everyone at Glen Afric are very upset about the tragedy.’


Officials said Hamley would be buried at the reserve, which lies in Broederstroom, around 20 miles north of Johannesburg.

The giraffe was one of several animals which appeared on the popular series, which follows the experiences of a British vet – played by 45-year-old Tompkinson – and his family after they move from Bristol to start a game farm in South Africa. In the earlier series his wife was played by Amanda Holden.

Speaking about Hamley, Tompkinson said in August: ‘Filming Wild At Heart for six years has definitely given me a love of nature.

‘Everything is special; the air, soil, and seeing incredible animals in their own environment is an absolute treat.

‘My daughter, Daisy, has grown up with the animals and knows them all by name.
‘One giraffe, Hamley, has almost become part of the family and is often found in the make-up trailer.’

The programme was first broadcast in 2006. A sixth ten-part series is currently being filmed and is due to be broadcast in the new year.


source :dailymail

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A one week-old female Rothschild giraffe calf

A one week-old female Rothschild giraffe calf, stands in her pen in Chester Zoo in Chester, north-west England, on November 8, 2010. The calf is the first pure Rothschild giraffe to have been born at the zoo, and will be named in an internet competition.



A one week-old female Rothschild giraffe calf, looks nat keeper Belinda Porter, in her pen at Chester Zoo in Chester, north-west England, on November 8, 2010. The calf is the first pure Rothschild giraffe to have been born at the zoo, and will be named in an internet competition.



A one week-old Rothschild giraffe calf (R), looks towards its father (L) Thorne, while under the care of keeper Belinda Porter, at Chester Zoo in Chester, north-west England, on November 8, 2010. The calf is the first pure Rothschild giraffe to have been born at the zoo, and will be named in an internet competition.


source: Daylife
photo: Gettyimages

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