Dwarf giraffes have just been discovered and are adorable

Adorable dwarf giraffes were first seen, and with their long graceful necks attached to a set of thick legs, they look like a mashup of mythical creatures. The researchers identified two wild giraffes about 2.7 meters tall – about half the height of an average giraffe. Such diminutive stature can put them at a disadvantage in nature, experts say.

A giraffe, nicknamed “Gimli”, in honor of the faithful dwarf companion in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, was first seen in 2015 at Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, according to The New York Times. The researchers were puzzled when they first saw the 2.8 m tall giraffe.

“The initial reaction was one of disbelief,” the study’s lead author, Michael Brown, a conservation science researcher at the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, told the Times.

A dwarf giraffe in Uganda. (Image credit: Michael Brown / Giraffe Conservation Foundation)

Related: How the giraffe got its iconic neck

The giraffe’s legs were exceptionally short, giving the impression that someone had put a giraffe’s head in a horse’s body, the Times reported.

In 2018, researchers observed a 2.6 m tall giraffe, nicknamed “Nigel”, on a private farm in central Namibia, according to a new study on the encounters, published on December 30 in the Daily BMC Research Notes.

After studying the proportions of these giraffes and comparing them with other giraffes of similar age, the researchers determined that Gimli and Nigel have skeletal dysplasia, or abnormal bone development, which resulted in dwarfism.

In addition to humans, dwarfism has been observed in domestic animals, including dogs, cows and pigs, but is rarely seen in wild animals. Gimli and Nigel are the first giraffes reported to have the disease.

Their short stature can make them easier prey, “since they lack the ability to run and kick effectively, which are two of the giraffe’s most effective anti-predator tactics,” said Brown.

Besides, besides, mating it would be a challenge – both giraffes are male and it would be almost impossible for them to mount female giraffes, which can be up to 14 feet (4.3 m) tall, “unless they get a stool,” David O’Connor, president of non-profit organization Save Giraffes Now, he told the Times.

Gimli was last seen in March 2017, and Nigel was last seen in July 2020, but researchers hope they will see the two giraffes again soon.

Overall, giraffe populations have declined significantly in Africa in recent decades, and the GCF estimates that there are only about 111,000 giraffes in the wild.

“The fact that this is the first description of the dwarf giraffe is just another example of how little we know about these charismatic animals,” said Julian Fennessy, GCF director and co-founder, in a statement. “There is much more to learn about giraffes in Africa and we need to get up now to save them before it is too late.”

Originally published on Live Science.

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