PERHAPS it’s a giraffe’s lofty stature that has given it a reputation for being a rather boorish, aloof creature. But it now seems we’ve misunderstood the tallest of all mammals.
Giraffe are actually quite social animals, says Meredith Bashaw of Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. They simply have a different concept of personal space. Though giraffe keep themselves well spread out most of the time, their long necks have allowed them to master the art of long-distance relationships.
Because of their eccentric body shape, researchers have concentrated on the animal’s physiology rather than its social habits. “Surprisingly, we know…
