A Giclee Print Featuring a Lone Giraffe
A Limited Edition of 395 Copies
Made in Our Own Studios and Available in Three Sizes
Reproduced on Epson's Cotton Textured Fine Art Paper
Giraffe Art: Alan (The Evolution of Aberdeenshire's Micro-Giraffes)A recent email from an overseas visitor recently posed a question as to why giraffe could no longer be seen roaming the Aberdeenshire countryside. The question initially took me by surprise. However, after contemplating the subject over an excessively long coffee break and a good read of the local Press & Journal, I suddenly realised that I, too, was unable to recall the last time I'd spotted a giraffe roaming the hills or harassing black-faced sheep. So, keen to solve this conundrum, I gave the world renowned Institute of Giraffic Studies in Inverurie a call. My inquiry revealed some very interesting facts. One major revelation was that, contrary to the widely held belief that numbers of wild Aberdeenshire giraffe were in decline, the reverse is true: the population (excluding those kept as pets) is actually increasing dramatically. The reason for the remarkable increase in numbers is not yet fully understood, although one theory posed by professor Knowitallski of the institute is that the evolution of the local giraffe population has accelerated rapidly, allowing them to adjust quickly to snow and slush and therefore adapt to their sub-arctic habitat with relative ease. This rapid evolutionary change has now led to the Aberdeenshire species being classed as a completely new sub-species: the Northern Micro-Giraffe, or giraffius notatalltallious. One of the major differences between Aberdeenshire's micro-giraffe and the more common species found throughout Africa is in height. The tallest micro-giraffe rarely exceeds eight inches (20 cms). This adaptation not only makes them less visible to prey species (their eighteen foot tall cousins were always at a disadvantage when it came to hiding among the heather), it also means, as trophies, they are much less sought after by big-game hunters. Research also indicates that the micro-giraffe has now attained the optimum height for browsing the highest and therefore most succulent heather buds; a food source inaccessible to any creature of a smaller stature.
SKU: 1144