Giraffes really struggle with slopes

[{"selector":"#anim-65dd4179-9a9a-45c3-b1dd-6ea0c195f296","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.01)","scale(0.999)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] In a perhaps unsurprising turn of events new research has found that giraffes, which aren’t known for their grace, prefer to remain on flatter ground.

The research, which was presented at the British Ecological Society’s Annual Meeting in Liverpool, highlights a mismatch between giraffes’ ideal, flat habitats and the areas in which they are being conserved.

It found that giraffes will tolerate some steepness to access food, but only up to 12° and only if it leads to favourable vegetation.

“Steep and rugged environments are challenging for large-bodied animals, like giraffes,” says Susanne Shultz, also from the University of Manchester.

“Unfortunately, natural and protected areas are more likely to be placed in such places, which can lead to a mismatch between the landscapes animals ‘want’ to use and the landscapes that we have ‘left’ for them.

“If a reserve is 200 hectares but has a large mountain in the middle, from a giraffe’s perspective, this reserve is not 200 hectares anymore”

cosmosmagazine.com

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Giraffes really struggle with slopes

The research, which was presented at the British Ecological Society’s Annual Meeting in Liverpool, highlights a mismatch between giraffes’ ideal, flat habitats and the areas in which they are being conserved.

“Steep and rugged environments are challenging for large-bodied animals, like giraffes,” says Susanne Shultz, also from the University of Manchester.

“If a reserve is 200 hectares but has a large mountain in the middle, from a giraffe’s perspective, this reserve is not 200 hectares anymore”

cosmosmagazine.com

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