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Focus on the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

The majestic grace of the giraffe, the tallest animal on Earth, makes it one of the animals most appreciated by tourists. This megavore has a head height exceeding five metres, three antlers, three blood systems and split hooves. The name giraffe is derived from the Arab word “xirapha” meaning “fast walking”. The species name refers to “camelo” after the appearance of the sub-Saharan camel Camelus bactrianus and “pardalis” the rosette skin pattern of the leopard Panthera pardus. The Afrikaans name

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Congenital and Neoplastic Cranial Deformities in Wild Giraffe (Giraffa spp.)

Congenital deformities and neoplasia are poorly documented in wildlife, owing to the difficulty of detection in wild populations. Congenital deformities may lead to premature mortality, thus reducing the chances of thorough documentation. Importantly, neoplasia diagnoses depend on either sampling suspicious lesions from living individuals or access to fresh, undisturbed carcasses, which can prove challenging. We describe five cases of suspected congenital cranial deformities (midfacial cleft, wry nose, and brachygnathia inferior) and two possible cases of cranial neoplasia (orbital bone mass

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Characterization of Lumpy skin disease virus isolated from a giraffe in Vietnam

While investigating a giraffe death in a Vietnamese zoo, we successfully identified and isolated lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) from skin nodule biopsies and ruptured nodule wound swab samples. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolate obtained in this study was closely related to the previous Vietnamese and Chinese LSDV strains from cattle. This is the first report on the genome detection and isolation of LSDV in a diseased giraffe in Vietnam. Further study is needed to better understand the epidemiology

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Detection of Trichuris eggs in feces and soil from giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and other hoofstock enclosures under human care in the USA

Trichuris spp. are nematode parasites infecting wild ruminants in zoological institutions worldwide. These helminths cause significant morbidity in giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and other hoofstock located in zoological institutions throughout the United States. Historically, studies and institutions have used a variety of nematode detection methods with various flotation solutions. Optimization of Trichuris egg detection is necessary for monitoring collections. Fecal and soil optimized protocols were generated in this study using samples containing Trichuris eggs from multiple semi free-ranging zoological institutions. First,

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The cardiovascular challenges in giraffes

Giraffes are the highest living animals on Earth and therefore are challenged by gravity more than any other species. In particular the cardiovascular system needs to adapt to this challenge. Giraffes have a mean blood pressure around 200 mmHg, which ensures a mean arterial pressure near the head of 100 mmHg when the giraffe is standing with the neck in a near vertical position. This immediately raises several questions. How do giraffes avoid edema in the legs where the arterial

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Breaking the constraint on the number of cervical vertebrae in mammals: On homeotic transformations in lorises and pottos

Mammals almost always have seven cervical vertebrae. The strong evolutionary constraint on changes in this number has been broken in sloths and manatees. We have proposed that the extremely low activity and metabolic rates of these species relax the stabilizing selection against changes in the cervical count. Our hypothesis is that strong stabilizing selection in other mammals is largely indirect and due to associated pleiotropic effects, including juvenile cancers. Additional direct selection can occur due to biomechanical problems (thoracic outlet

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Anatomy Of The Female Urogenital System Of The West African Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis Peralta)

The knowledge of the anatomy of organs of the urogenital system is vital in understanding aetiologies of anomalies. To this end, morphology and morphometry of the organs of reproduction and urine formation, from autopsies of two adult non-gravid West African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria were studied. In situ, two encapsulated kidneys were found to be retroperitoneal and asymmetrically pressed against the dorsal abdominal wall on each side of the

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Socio-economic factors correlating with illegal use of giraffe body parts

Unsustainable hunting, both illegal and legal, has led to the extirpation of many species. In the last 35 years giraffe Giraffa spp. populations have declined precipitously, with extinctions documented in seven African countries. Amongst the various reasons for these population declines, poaching is believed to play an important role in some areas. Giraffes are primarily hunted for consumption and for the use of their body parts as trophies and in traditional medicine. However, the socio-economic factors that correlate with the

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Understanding dead space in giraffes, and its application to critically ill COVID-19 patients

Giraffes have long been a subject of study for scientists due to the physiological anomaly their anatomical design can present. The study of the species helps aid in understanding of clinically relevant processes. The long trachea of a giraffe presents the dilemma of exaggerated dead space; however, this physiological problem is surmounted by a narrow trachea when compared to mammals of similar size, thus decreasing potential dead space. As COVID-19 patients in the hospital and ICU can develop COVID-19 associated

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Effect of Elephants and Other Ungulates on the Vegetation in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania

This study assessed the effects of elephants and other ungulates on the vegetation in Northern Part of Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) in Tanzania. This study is peculiar since it assessed the effects of elephants and other ungulates on the vegetation in Northern Part of SENAPA which is missing in the literature. The objectives were to determine plant species composition in the Northern Part of SENAPA, examine the effects of elephants and other ungulates on vegetation in the Northern Part of

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