h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Or not...

Or not...

Giraffes seem to have several inherrent design flaws - firstly, their height makes them prime targets for lightening strikes and secondly their legs are too long for their necks. i.e. they have to spread their legs out sideways to drink. However, if they spread their legs too far, they do the splits and can't get up.

Their was a very famous incident in a zoological park near Winchester (Marwell) about 20 years ago, where a baby giraffe (named Victor) accidentally did the splits whilst trying to reach something on the ground and couldn't get up. Despite every form of intervention - including a crane (and much tabloid press coverage), the little chap died.

Don't you think the spreading of the legs is to get a bigger base so you don't tip that easily? And why did the little giraffe die? If he was lifted with a crane, surely he should be able to put his feet together and get on with it.

I cannot remember exactly what happened, but the crane failed to help the little giraffe to his feet. It was a most bizarre situation where everyone seemed helpless, and for about 6 days they struggled before he finally died. Quite why he died, I'm not sure. There must be someone else out there who remembers Victor - he was all over the papers and on the national news for days.

I am surprised that no-one else seems to have remembered Victor. However, apparently a New York film company have recently made a documentary about giraffes, called Tall Blondes. Part of the film will include the story of Victor the giraffe "who earned worldwide sympathy when he did the splits. Valiant efforts to restore him to the vertical position failed and he dies six days later" This was in 1977. Hopefully it will explain exactly why he ended up dying.

given that people tend towards the fickle, old news soon becomes forgotten news it is not surprising that the fateof the unfortunate victor has become a long forgotten item in world history, although I do actually remember the incident. It is filedaway in a dusty part of my memory together with goldy the eagleand that red kneed mexican bird eating spider that escaped some where in middle england some decades ago. On the subject of Giraffes being struck by lightening it has long been suspected that plains antelope instinctivly train there off spring not to shelter under giraffes during the wet season.

And do you remember those pigs that escaped in England a few years ago and were all over the news as they ran free through the home counties. Pork pies now like.

Yes, they were a few miles from me. They were Tamworth pigs and became known as the Tamworth Two. I think they won a reprieve and went to live on someone's farm - However I have a horrible feeling they may not have survived the Foot and Mouth culling!!