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Once the giraffes lie down to sleep, getting up quickly even in response to a predator’s attack is an awkward and time-consuming procedure. Those lean legs take some time to get off the ground. Therefore, when giraffes sleep, more often they remain fully standing with their neck and head curved around to rest on their hump. Or they engage in a sort of half-sleeping period in a fully upright position, in which the eyes are half-open, and the ears keep twitching. They have also been known to occasionally keep an eye open protecting itself by almost never going off alert.
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When the giraffe bends down to drink, the gravitational force is not only reduced but also reversed. Otherwise, the blood that is pumped towards the brain possibly may lead to brain damage. But the harder pumping to get the blood uphill results in high blood pressure. Therefore, the blood pressure of giraffe is exceptionally high. The blood pressure of a giraffe’s heart can reach roughly twice as that of a human being. But in their heads, the blood pressure remains the same as a human’s irrespective of whether they are drinking at ground level or chomping leaves from the trees.
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The neck of a giraffe is an easily recognizable feature because it is very long. It has seven cervical vertebrae, each one 25 cm long. They put them to use when battling with other giraffes for mates and territory, and when picking food from tall trees. Another interesting feature is its horns that are called ossicones. They are covered in skin and formed from ossified cartilage. But the giraffe skin produces an unpleasant smell. While no one knows what accounts for its long necks, there are enough studies done on ossicones and explanations given as to what causes the stink.
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At an average height of 5.6m from the ground to the horns, the tallest land-based mammal in the world is giraffe. Despite its tallness, it is closely related to the smaller Okapi that is found elusively in the dense tropical forests. Giraffes are rarely heard and are considered silent mammals, but when disturbed, they will growl, grunt and snort to warn others of the danger. Some other communication sounds are mooing, moaning, hissing, snoring, and flutelike sounds. Mother giraffes search for their lost young by whistling and bellowing calls. And the young return the mother’s calls by mewing or bleating.
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The thing that differentiates a Maasai giraffe from other species is the design of its irregular star-shaped patches fur that is of several shades. The spots are jagged compared to the others. Its skin resembles dried oak leaves that can have several shades, like orange or cream. The patches are buff-colored from below the knee. The spots on the coat are like human fingerprints because no two patterns are the same. They can be used to identify a giraffe. Males have darker spots than females, with the dominant male having the darkest. It is unknown what causes this physical change.
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An exploratory journey about giraffes through their glorifying times in the past, its scientific contribution in the present and its uncertain future is astounding. Their history in the ancient Europe depicted them as regal and majestic. In modern times, their contribution has led to innovations in space explorations. And their future is uncertain unless measures are put in place to mitigate the consequences of degradation and poaching. Otherwise, these gentle giants are at risk of turning the glorifying past into horrifying future. This journey of how the future of giraffes that were once considered royal became bleak is worth exploring.
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It has been shown that giraffes can sleep either in a standing or recumbent posture. In the standing posture, they are motionless, and the neck is at a narrow angle. The transition from standing to recumbency is gradual and the transition to recumbent sleep from recumbent wakefulness could occur several times before paradoxical sleep could be seen. In recumbency, giraffes could be seen either sleeping or awake. The posture consists of legs folded under the neck. The neck is bent forward at an angle less vertical than when awake. And the head will be rested immobile on the rear leg.
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Major David Sheldrick had to face many obstacles during his passionate years in East Tsavo national park. The drought and the flood that came along did not ease the pressure in any way and made it even harder. It was a constant uphill battle. The continuous fire fighting and the many challenges, however, did yield results in the end. At least the anti-poaching campaign was a success. However, Kenya’s independence in 1963 brought about some unwanted changes in national park’s administration. It is in the best interests of everyone concerned if things can go back to the former Sheldrick days.
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Amboseli National Park is the second most-visited and favorite wildlife safari park in Kenya after Maasai Mara. Flora and fauna abound in this piece of rich savanna grassland. The loose surface of the roads is covered with volcanic soil that is impassable in the wet season and dusty in the dry season. The park’s closeness to the Tanzanian border and Kenya’s capital Nairobi makes it a perfect weekend getaway for most game enthusiasts and visitors alike. Amboseli National Park has become not only a safari traveler’s dream come true but also a nature haven for photographers and fodder for documentaries.
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The credit of converting the unchartered Tsavo to a wildlife park goes to Kenya’s first generation of wardens, David Sheldrick, Peter Jenkins and Bill Woodley. They were proficient riflemen capable of shooting an elephant, rhino, lion or buffalo the moment they could walk. The first task of the early pioneer park wardens, Sheldrick, Jenkins, and Woodley, was to walk on foot in punishing temperatures of the dry season. They carried with them what water they could. But during wet seasons, they ventured further, for they were hardened naturalists, and drank from waterholes that were used by the animals as well.
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The African Rift Valley System is one of the tectonic features not only of Kenya but also of Africa that extends from Mozambique in the south through eastern Africa to Jordan in southwestern Asia. The rift extends from south in Mozambique all the way up to north in Jordan to the southwestern Asia. Consisting of the Nubian Plate, the Somalian Plate, the Ethiopian Plate and the Arabian Plate, fault scarps are the most noticeable feature of the African Rift Valley. Nevertheless, the formation of Rift Valley in Kenya is an ongoing discussion and geologists reckon that more research is needed.
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There are up to two million lesser and greater flamingos in Lake Nakuru. The sight of huge flocks of these flamingos along the Nakuru lakeshore seems like a mirage from a distance because of its combination of white feathers and fuchsia-colored legs. In fact, at times, the lake’s surface is almost never seen. The patterns of flamingo migration are quite mysterious too. Sometimes they depart at night on long journeys between the many different alkaline lakes situated along the Rift Valley. So, it is never easy to predict at which lake they are. Flamingos almost never breed in Lake Nakuru.
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Little did the British colonial government know when they were splitting and developing Tsavo National Park that it would turn out into one of the most visited wildlife spots in the world. Both the West and East parks have their unique charm. While Tsavo West National Park is a stunning scenic beauty, Tsavo East National Park is slightly larger and closer for a day visit. Hopefully, with the conservation measures put in place by the wildlife authorities and the efforts of other stakeholders and well-wishers concerned, the population numbers of elephant and rhino may be restored to the former times.
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The beautiful and picturesque Nakuru, located 164 km from Nairobi, rises from the floor of the East African Rift Valley and is surrounded and dominated by an undulating terrain of acacia woodlands, open rough grassland and euphorbia forest, characteristic of the vegetation in the rift valley. Nakuru encloses the park, the lake, and its adjacent lands. The word Nakuru in the Maa language of Maasai means dust. The name is such perhaps due to its vast savannah whose soil loosens during the dry season. The place is ideal for bird watching and hiking and is a 2½-hour drive from Nairobi.
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Amboseli’s history is as ancient as human civilization. Excavators have discovered many fossils here. Although the Bantu people settled in Kenya over the first millennium, the Maasai established themselves in Amboseli. They were a Nilotic tribe but have amalgamated the customs of other tribes to form their culture. They named the region Empusel, which means salty and dusty open place in the Maa language. Maasais are fierce warriors, much like their ancestors, but living in peace with the wildlife population. Hence, the European explorers avoided them initially until an expedition arrived in the region in 1883 led by Joseph Thompson.
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One of the geologic wonders of the world is the East African Rift Valley System, which is the largest fracture on the surface of earth. People also call it the Afro-Arabian Rift Valley. It is where the tectonic forces of this planet have created new African plates by splitting the old continental crust apart in the same way it does mid-ocean ridges. So, the East African Rift Valley is a divergent boundary in a region of continental crust. Debates are still going on as to how exactly rift comes into being. But the process is well displayed in East Africa.
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Naivasha’s history embarks on a journey of facts and tales revealing the life of its people. Setting foot here unfolds the traces of its momentous events. The population is about 158,680 according to the Census of Kenya of 2009. Commercialization has crept into this quaint little town that Maasais once inhabited before the British colonised it. Lake Naivasha is the iconic feature of Naivasha fed by Malewa and Gilgil rivers flowing down the Aberdare Mountains. The water supports a horticultural industry and geothermal projects. However, this is taking its toll on its biodiversity resulting in environmental degradation, which are unsustainable.
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A notable feature of all elephants is their large ears, which radiates excess heat. Other distinguished elements are its face and familial structure. These features of the elephant make up the beautiful side of it. The ugly aspect of the beautiful giants comes out with the intervention of humans. In southeast Kenya, elephants and people enter into contact often, and conflicts occur. The main culprits of the conflict is population growth and climate change. A whole team of experts and field workers is working hard to eradicate the ugliness and restore the elephants to their former beauties that they are.
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In the wild, most elephants live in herds or clans that can only be separated by capture or death. Separation from one another, including transfer between different zoos, is a traumatizing event for them. During such trying moments, just like humans, elephants have proven to show great ability to empathize with the misfortune of others. The intelligence and insight of the animal are particularly note-worthy when they console each other in times of trouble. Some even consider that elephants do possess consciousness. Such thinking is not hard to believe. With further analyses, it may be able to ascertain its veracity.
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All male and female African elephants grow tusks. The female ones are thin, small, and often of the same thickness. However, in Asia, only some male elephants have tusks. And the female Asian elephants do not have tusks but have tiny horns known as tushes. Perhaps the elephants in Africa have a greater need for digging for sustenance. In elephants, tusks are elongated, enlarged, and modified incisor teeth and are no different from other teeth. Tusks can grow up to eight inches a year. One of the largest ones found weighed about 200 pounds and was about 10 feet long.