'•^ (iiniffcs 



(iirall(;s (lvv<']I ( hidly on the plains. Aljoiit sevcn- 

 tcntlis of ( "jcniiaii I'^ast Alrica r('|)r(:scnt an I'",I Oorado 

 lor L(irall('s. I Icrc llic) Inid all [he condilions ol lil(; 

 necessary to ihcni. They can travel a long way Iroin water, 

 as thcv can do without il (or scvral days at a time, 

 I )iii'inL;' th<: I'ains they l;ci as niiich water as th(-y want 

 Iroin the moist leaves. I'hcir food consists chieHy of 

 (oliaL;<- and o( die thin hranches o( the didcrcnt aeacia- 

 trees, as well as the leaves and twi_L(s ol man)' (AIhi" 

 trees. 



So far as I myscdf have been ahle to ol)serve, th(* 

 L(iralle never eats grass ol any kind. Its anatom\ and 

 huild arc; not suggestive of a graminivorous animal. When 

 in captivity, ol course;, giralles are f(;d on ha\ and Iresh 

 grass and clover, as are also elephants, rhinoceroses, and 

 othei- animals, as it is hard, unlortimat<-l\ , to fmd l>ranch(.'S 

 ol trees and foliage in siillicicnt <|uantitv lor them. Il is 

 astonishing that, in spite ol all this, such animals are ahle 

 to live so man\' years in capti\'it)' ; hut I hav<- nevei' lound 

 them so well nourished in luirope as in th(;ir native 

 haunts. 'I Ik; particularly vv(;ll -nourished " twigga " which 

 can he seen in my |)hotographs hecanK; (|uilc ihm and 

 meagre; in captivity, so that the n(;ck v(;rt(;brce jjro- 

 trud(;(l more and mor<'. Their ihriving to the; (;.\tent 

 they do und(;r such dill(;i'cni conehtions is a sign of great 

 adaptahility. V(;ry many ol iIk; large; mammals are; imable 

 lo reconcile; lhe;mse]ves te) the; alte-re-d l(je)d. It is with 

 the greate;st elilfie;ulty that a large; kuelu is ke;pt alive;. 

 I have; had mueh tre)uhle; In cejnvincing e;ven ze)ole)gicai 

 experts that giralle;s in the-Ir fre-e; state were se) shape;ly 



; I I 



