Scientific commentary
An Anthrax Outbreak Took a Quarter of Mwea’s Giraffes
The account of a wildlife emergency shows how much a small population can lose, and why the period after an intervention needs to be recorded.
Giraffe research, explained.Page 16
The questions, fieldwork and discoveries behind giraffe science. Each story explains an original study, what it found and what remains uncertain.
Research stories
136–144 of 179 stories
Scientific commentary
A Shrub Marked for Clearing Is a Giraffe Staple
Bush clearing can help grass-eaters while removing a meal for browsers. Observations in Tanzania reveal the plant behind that trade-off.
Scientific commentary
When Giraffe Water Routes Meet Farmers’ Fields
Along Kenya’s River Tana, access to water connects invaded corridors, working farms and a trial of supplementary food and water.
Scientific commentary
Flower-Eating Giraffes Left Knobthorns With Fewer Pods
Pollen on a giraffe’s face looks suggestive. Following flowers through to pods gives a stronger test of what the tree gains or loses.
Scientific commentary
Why a Giraffe Can Be an Oxpecker’s Nighttime Roost
Camera traps caught birds tucked beneath giraffes after dark, extending a familiar daytime association into an overlooked part of the night.
Scientific commentary
Private Answers Revealed Falling Giraffe Meat Use
To investigate a sensitive threat to giraffes, researchers needed answers that did not require each respondent to disclose a prohibited behaviour.
Scientific commentary
Giraffe Trade Has Different Routes and Local Stakes
Understanding where giraffe parts go requires separating local use, commercial markets and international trade—and asking what each source can actually reveal.
Scientific commentary
Giraffe Genetic Boundaries Follow Different Rain Calendars
Neighbouring savannas can offer fresh leaves in different months. That seasonal mismatch may help explain why mobile giraffes remain genetically distinct.
Scientific commentary
Zebras Watched Giraffes and Spent Less Time on Guard
A taller neighbour may provide information about danger without sounding an alarm. Researchers followed where zebras looked to investigate that possibility.