Scientific commentary
How Researchers Checked a Dung Test for Giraffe Stress
The most familiar hormone test was not the most sensitive way to detect a giraffe’s adrenal response.
Giraffe research, explained.Page 19
The questions, fieldwork and discoveries behind giraffe science. Each story explains an original study, what it found and what remains uncertain.
Research stories
163–171 of 179 stories
Scientific commentary
Watching Giraffe Mouths Helped AI Detect Licking
Subtle tongue movements posed a different challenge from recognising a walking giraffe.
Scientific commentary
Giraffe Mothers Remained Near Their Dead Calves for Days
Two carefully followed events revealed prolonged attention after calf death, with different opportunities to approach the remains.
Scientific commentary
Male Giraffes Connected More of the Social Network
Adult males and young males occupied different kinds of connecting positions in a network of more than a thousand giraffes.
Scientific commentary
Repeated Licking Varied Across Giraffes and the Day
Repeated licking of walls and fences raised a welfare concern, with individual routines showing which animals and observation periods needed closer attention.
Scientific commentary
Giraffe Companions Were More Likely to Share Gut Bacteria
Genetic fingerprints of bacteria offered an independent check on which giraffe relationships might reflect opportunities for transmission.
Scientific commentary
Neighbouring Giraffe Populations Had Different Social Networks
Using the same methods at two nearby Kenyan sites revealed social preferences in both populations, but different patterns of connection.
Scientific commentary
Why Do Giraffes Chew Bones? The Mineral Puzzle
A bone in a giraffe’s mouth is evidence of an unusual appetite. Understanding what the animal gains takes a different kind of investigation.
Scientific commentary
Ancient Giraffe Footprints on South Africa’s Cape Coast
A track-bearing rock surface beside the Indian Ocean preserves evidence of animals walking across a landscape very different from the coast we see today.