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All mammals experience different life stages as they develop, each of which is characterised by particular physical and behavioural changes. Despite the emergence of sophisticated behaviour analysis techniques, the ways in which social behaviour varies by life stage, and how this is influenced by an individual's sex, is relatively understudied in most social mammals other than primates and elephants. Understanding the social requirements of mammals should be a central and critical component to their conservation, captive management and welfare. Here, we apply social network analysis techniques to understand how social behaviour differs with life stage in the giraffe, a gregarious fission–fusion mammal. We studied two wild populations of giraffes in Kenya and found that adolescents have significantly stronger associations with adolescents of their own sex first and foremost, then adults of their own sex. Other associations were significantly lower than would be expected, or non-significant. Our results suggest that adolescence in both male and female giraffes shares similar features to adolescence in other social mammal species. We discuss how the application of such knowledge might improve the management and welfare of captive giraffes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until around 2000, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis were believed to have no social structure. Despite a resurgence of interest in giraffe behaviour in around 2010, most studies are of isolated populations, making it difficult to draw general conclusions. Although it is now well established that giraffe social organisation is non‐random, there is little consensus as to what influences preferred and avoided associations or the underpinning mechanisms.We test two hypotheses: first, giraffe have a complex cooperative social system, exhibited by 1) stable groups of females, 2) offspring that stay in their natal group for part or all of their lives, 3) support by non‐mothers in rearing young, and 4) non‐reproductive females in the group; and second, giraffe form matrilineal societies, evidenced by 1) male dispersal, 2) female philopatry, 3) assistance in raising or protecting offspring, and 4) individual benefits gained from social foraging.We reviewed 404 papers on giraffe behaviour and social organisation; captive studies were included where they supplemented information from free‐living populations.We show that giraffe exhibit many of the features typical of mammals with complex cooperative social systems and matrilineal societies. However, the social complexity hypothesis posits that such species also require complex communication systems to regulate interactions and relations among group members; giraffe communication systems are poorly understood.Quantifying the fitness and survival benefits of the giraffe's social organisation is necessary to ensure its long‐term survival. Giraffe numbers have declined by 40% since 1985, they have been declared extinct in seven (possibly nine) countries and are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We identify research areas that will advance our understanding of giraffe behaviour and conservation requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giraffe populations have declined dramatically in the last three decades. Giraffe translocations are likely to increase as wildlife managers seek to augment or re‐establish populations. Currently, formal practical guidance for giraffe translocations is limited. Here, we present a review of translocation guidelines emphasising planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and we review giraffe behaviour and ecology to provide recommendations specific to the translocation of giraffes. We also aim to stimulate discussion about best practices for giraffe translocations and further research into the ethical and practical considerations of moving giraffes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive value of close social bonds and social networks has been demonstrated in a variety of vertebrate taxa. While the effect of predators on populations is well established, disturbance by humans is increasingly being identified as affecting the behaviour and reproductive success of animals and can have significant impacts on their survival. We used a concurrent analysis of two adjacent giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis populations in Kenya to determine whether human activities and high predation affected their social networks. One study site was a premier tourist destination with a high volume of human activity in the form of tourist traffic and lodge infrastructure, alongside a high density of lions which preferentially prey on giraffe calves; the other was a private wildlife conservancy with minimal human activity and no lion population. Giraffes in both networks showed preferred associations and avoidances of other individuals, which were independent of space use. Bond strength was lower in the population exposed to high levels of human activity and lions, and the network had lower density and clustering, and shorter path lengths, suggesting that it was more fragmented. We suggest that human activity and predator density may influence the patterns of social interactions in giraffes and highlight the importance of understanding the impact of tourism and management on the survival and success of wild animal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giraffe populations have suffered a 40% decline in the past thirty years, making them a new priority for conservation and there are considerable uncertainty and disagreement over the taxonomic classification of giraffes. Consequently, there has never been a more critical time to fully understand the global population size and distribution of all giraffe subspecies. The Rothschild's giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi (Linnaeus, 1758) is arguably one of the most imperilled giraffe subspecies. Once widespread across southern Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, the Rothschild's giraffe is now confined to a few, isolated and enclosed populations throughout Kenya and Uganda, with only one natural population remaining. Information about Rothschild's giraffe population size, distribution, and conservation history is patchy, and confined to recondite or inaccessible resources. Here, I present a review of taxonomy, distribution, conservation status and population size of the Rothschild's giraffe and present the most recent estimate of population sizes based on direct census data. Although the Latin name affixed to Rothschild's giraffe is subject to discussion, continued reference to this subspecies as G. c. rothschildi is strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic nature of animal societies often hides multiple layers of complexity. The field of animal behaviour is rapidly advancing with the development of increasingly sophisticated analytical methods that allow scientists to identify complex and nuanced drivers of social patterns. The resurgent interest in giraffe sociality illustrates this by challenging the early view that individuals interact at random; it became clear that, instead, giraffes can be organized into multilevel societies, apparently founded on preferred associations. However, it is unclear whether such enduring associations result from active choice for specific individuals. The extent to which other social and asocial factors can contribute to an individual's inclusion in groups remains underexplored. Here we assess how context affects social preferences at the individual level by evaluating grouping patterns of giraffes in different behavioural states, habitats and levels of disturbance. When we controlled for potential class-based (as opposed to individual-based) assortment of individuals by sex, age and gregariousness, we found that giraffes only exhibited individual social preferences when foraging, with minor influence of habitat complexity or level of disturbance. Our results indicate that behavioural context is a major driver of giraffe social association. This strengthens recent evidence of complex social systems in giraffes and suggests that classic metrics of social relationships (such as association indices) may be too coarse, concealing true social preferences in wild populations. Highlights • Behavioural context is a major driver of social associations in giraffes. • Giraffes only exhibit social preferences when foraging. • Habitat complexity and predation risk had minor influences on association patterns. • Social preferences may be driven by females' selection of foraging companions. • Accounting for behavioural context can reveal true social preferences among animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giraffe populations in East Africa have declined in the past thirty years yet there has been limited research on this species. This study had four objectives: i) to provide a baseline population assessment for the two largest populations of Rothschild’s giraffes in Kenya, ii) to assess whether there are differences in population structure between the two enclosed populations, iii) to assess the potential and possible implications of different management practices on enclosed giraffe populations to inform future decision-making, and iv) to add to the availability of information available about giraffes in the wild. I used individual identification to assess the size and structure of the two populations; in Soysambu Conservancy between May 2010 and January 2011, I identified 77 giraffes; in Lake Nakuru National Park between May 2011 and January 2012, I identified 89. Population structure differed significantly between the two sites; Soysambu Conservancy contained a high percentage of juveniles (34%) and subadults (29%) compared to Lake Nakuru NP, which contained fewer juveniles (5%) and subadults (15%). During the time of this study Soysambu Conservancy contained no lions while Lake Nakuru NP contained a high density of lions (30 lions per 100km2). Lions are the main predator of giraffes, and preferential predation on juvenile giraffes has previously been identified in Lake Nakuru NP. My results suggest that high lion density in Lake Nakuru NP may have influenced the structure of the giraffe population by removing juveniles and, consequently, may affect future population growth. I suggest that wildlife managers consider lion densities alongside breeding plans for Endangered species, since the presence of lions appears to influence the population structure of giraffes in enclosed habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on color variations in giraffes. It presents a case of progressive coat depigmentation observed in an adult male giraffe. It is said that all giraffes have a pale base color overlaid with irregularly shaped patches of brown or orange, however, there may be some variation between subspecies.

The article presents a study which examines the behaviour of giraffe mothers after the death of their calves. The authors of the study observed Rothschild's giraffes in Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya and Masai giraffes in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It reveals that each observed mother remained near the site of death calves for three to four consecutive days.

Speeded enumeration of visual objects typically produces fast and accurate performance for up to 3 to 4 items (subitization) but slower and less accurate performance thereafter (counting). We investigated enumeration ability in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in age-matched controls. AD patients were slower overall than controls. The subitizing span was significantly reduced in AD patients compared with controls (2.3 vs 3.5 items) and counting rate was significantly slower (451 vs 349 ms/item). Error rates were similar in the two groups except at numerosity 3, when AD patients made errors but controls did not (consistent with their subitizing spans). Within the AD patient group, several aspects of performance correlated significantly with Mini-Mental State Examination scores. Together, the results provide a striking contrast with studies showing preservation of enumeration ability in normal aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In a recent paper in Current Biology , Fennessy and colleagues [1] conclude that there are four species of giraffe and that their numbers are declining in Africa. Giraffes ( Giraffa camelopardalis ) are presently classified as one species, with nine subspecies, which are considered ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List [2] . The present consensus of one species divided into nine subspecies has previously been questioned (Supplemental information), and Fennessy and colleagues [1] provide another viewpoint on giraffe taxonomy. The fundamental reason for different taxonomic interpretations is that they are based upon different datasets that adopt different statistical techniques and follow different criteria for nomenclature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]