ORDER ARTIODACTYLA: EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 497 



Thornicroft's Giraffe; North Rhodesian Giraffe 



GlRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS THORNICROFTI Lydekker. 



G[iraffa] camelopardalis thornicrojti Lydekker, Nature, vol. 87, no. 2189, p. 

 484, 1911. ("North-eastern Rhodesia"; type locality restricted by Lydek- 

 ker (1912c, p. 771) to the Petauke district, which lies in the Luangwa 

 Valley in the eastern part of Northern Rhodesia.) 



FIG.: Lydekker, 1912c, pi. 86. 



During recent years this Giraffe has shown a very gratifying 

 increase in numbers from about 70 to some 300 or 400. 



"Characterised by the low and conical frontal horn, the grey 

 colour and scattered spotting of the sides of the face, the chestnut- 

 brown forehead, deepening into black on the tips of the horns, the 

 absence of a distinctly stellate pattern in the neck and body spots, 

 which are light brown on a yellowish-fawn ground" (Lydekker, 

 1911, p. 484). Shanks "rufous-fawn with very faint traces of spot- 

 ting nearly down to the fetlocks." Height "close on 18 feet, or 

 possibly rather more." (Lydekker, 1912c, pp. 771, 773.) 



Thornicroft's Giraffe has a decidedly restricted range, chiefly on 

 the east side of the Luangwa River in the northern part of the 

 Petauke district. Here it is isolated from all other Giraffes by a 

 distance of several hundred miles. (Pitman, 1934, map F.) 



Lydekker refers (1912c, p. 771) to "the single herd in this part 

 of Rhodesia." 



"A few herds exist in the Petauke area of the Luangwa Valley. 

 They are strictly preserved and can be shot only under a Governor's 

 Licence." (Kingston, 1930, p. 26.) 



"There is only one herd in Northern Rhodesia which is usually 

 found in the country between Petauke and Mzazas on the east side 

 of the Loangwa River" (Lyell, in Maydon, 1932, p. 332). 



"Captain Pitman remarked that some years ago there were only 

 about 70 specimens, whereas now they had increased to some 300 

 or 400. They do not go about in one mob but in parties of not 

 more than fifteen and usually less than six." (Jour. Soc. Preserva- 

 tion Fauna Empire, n. s., pt. 19, p. 9, 1933.) 



Pitman (1934, pp. 83, 377) also gives the following account: 



Thornicroft's giraffe is one of the outstanding examples [of pronounced 

 increase], as well as Cookson's wildebeest, both inhabitants of East Luangwa, 

 and both, as far as is known, the remaining representatives of their particular 

 races. 



I cannot help feeling that the whole-hearted co-operation of the local 

 Native Authorities is mainly responsible for such a satisfactory state of 

 affairs. . . . 



The opportunity was taken of visiting a portion of the giraffe habitat in 



the Petauke District on the left bank of the Luangwa, between the village 



of Chirongozi and the Lusangazi confluence. None of these animals were 



actually seen, though some of the carriers returning by a different route to 



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