LONDON’S RAIN HAS CAUGHT UP WITH ME...
So today it’s raining and it’s raining a lot, I’m not amused, seriously this is so not in my schedule. Fortunately I managed to finish the painting I started yesterday and therefore at least I’m not on a half ass tip.
I’m sure the vast majority of people are thinking ‘giraffes, endangered, surely not?’
and if we investigated all the giraffes on a one species level then you would be correct. However giraffes have a complex species division, using molecular techniques it has been discovered that giraffes can be classified into six groups that are reproductively isolated and are not interbreeding in the wild. A biological species is defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Since sub-species have been discovered it also means that some of these species are now realised as being endangered. One of which is the Rothschild giraffe…
Current estimates of population size are well below 2,500 mature individuals, numbers are declining overall and no sub-population is estimated to contain more than 250 mature individuals. The population is potentially close to meeting the population threshold for Critically Endangered.
and if we investigated all the giraffes on a one species level then you would be correct. However giraffes have a complex species division, using molecular techniques it has been discovered that giraffes can be classified into six groups that are reproductively isolated and are not interbreeding in the wild. A biological species is defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Since sub-species have been discovered it also means that some of these species are now realised as being endangered. One of which is the Rothschild giraffe…
Current estimates of population size are well below 2,500 mature individuals, numbers are declining overall and no sub-population is estimated to contain more than 250 mature individuals. The population is potentially close to meeting the population threshold for Critically Endangered.
Rothschild has been pushed out of its natural range by agricultural development, hunting, human encroachment and loss of their natural habitat. Numbers declined so drastically that they became extinct in Sudan and only a few hundred individuals remained in the 1960’s. A conservation drive in the 1960’s and 70’s led by the late Betty Leslie-Melville resulted in Kenya-wide translocations and the establishment of new populations. This early conservation initiative proved successful and formed the basis of the Rothschild's herds that exist today.
I really enjoyed this wall and so it would seem the locals did also, as I have been asked to do about another four walls. Which shall I do first? Well none today due to this splendid rain we’ve got…best go check out some touristy things I guess…
