Two giraffes seen in the wild appear to have the classic long neck but unusually short and stocky legs
Two dwarf giraffes have been discovered for the first time. Animals live free in nature, in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.
Let's forget tall and slender animals, with long and elegant necks. The adorable Gimli and Nigel are short and have stubby legs. About 2,7 meters tall, the two dwarf giraffes are about half the size of their peers. Unfortunately, their fate is not favorable as their short stature could put them at a disadvantage in nature.
Gimli, renamed after the trusted dwarf helper in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, was first spotted in 2015 in Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park. The researchers gasped when they noticed it.
"The initial reaction was one of disbelief",
lead author Michael Brown, a conservation science researcher at the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, told the New York Times. The giraffe's legs were unusually short. But it wasn't the only one. In 2018, researchers observed another 2,6 meters tall giraffe, nicknamed "Nigel". She lived on a private farm in central Namibia.
Recently, a study calculated their exact size and revealed that they have dwarfism. According to a statement from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, this is the first time that dwarfism has been documented in captive or wild giraffes. The scientists published their findings in December in the BMC Research Notes journal.
GCF researchers recently spotted 2 dwarf giraffe in Namibia & Uganda. These giraffe had shorter legs compared to others of similar age. This is the first description of dwarf giraffe, which shows how little we know about these iconic animals https://t.co/XmPFGQDIYi @BMC_series pic.twitter.com/zighmCXTqm
— Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) (@Save_Giraffe) January 3, 2021
After studying the proportions of these giraffes, comparing them to similar ones of the same age, the researchers determined that Gimli and Nigel have skeletal dysplasia or abnormal bone development, which resulted in dwarfism. This condition has been observed in domestic animals, including dogs, cows and pigs, as well as in humans, but has rarely been seen in wild animals.
Their short stature may make them easier prey,
"Since they lack the ability to run and kick effectively, which are two of the giraffe's most effective anti-predator tactics," Brown said.
Furthermore, breeding would be a challenge - both giraffes are male and it would be nearly impossible for them to mate with female giraffes, which can be up to 4,3m tall.
Gimli was last spotted in March 2017 and Nigel in July 2020, but researchers hope to see them again soon.
Sources of reference: Reuters, Smithsonian, TheNewYorkTimes, BMC Research Notes
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