Here's how Giraffes surprised biologists again

New Delhi : As most of us read in biology textbook that sizes of animals increase when there is a risk of predation, a study conducted by Bristol PhD student Zoe Muller from the School of Biological Sciences has found that this fact is not true for giraffes. The size of giraffe is not influenced by the presence of predators. Instead, the type of habitat the group belongs to influence the size of Giraffes.

Zoe Muller said: "This is surprising, and highlights how little we know about even the most basic aspects of giraffe behaviour."

The team investigates on how the grouping behaviour of giraffes differed in response to numerous factors, such as predation risk, habitat type and the characteristics of individuals.

Habitat type had some effect on group size, but the main effect on group size is in the behaviour of adult females, who stays in smaller groups when they give birth to young ones’.

In contrast, there is another belief that female giraffes form large groups to communally care for their young. The study presents the first evidence to show that actually, the opposite is true. The research paper is being published in the Journal of Zoology.

Zoologists say that Giraffe populations have declined by 40 percent in the last 30 years, and there may be fewer than 98,000 individuals remaining in the wild areas. Due to their drastic decline in the wild, they have been listed as "Vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation in Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Zoe Muller added: "This research adds another important piece to the puzzle of understanding how giraffes live in the wild.

"Giraffes are a threatened species, suffering ongoing decline across Africa, and this research highlights how they are actually an incredibly misunderstood species. We can only manage and conserve giraffe populations effectively if we properly understand their behaviour and ecology, which we are only just beginning to do.

"Despite their prominence, giraffes have been significantly understudied in comparison to other charismatic African mammals. Their recent listing as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN red list is a valuable step towards recognising their potential to become extinct, and more research is sorely needed to understand the threats and challenges they face in the wild."

Further research on the subject can be used to understand the management of habitats, environmental and social variables which can support the conservation of giraffe populations.