We have analyzed the growth patterns of the head and neck of 65 male and 71 female giraffes from two different populations of giraffes, and also the dimensions of 19 different components of the head and neck in 8 female and 13 male giraffes, to establish if they showed sexual dimorphism and if sexual selection for a weapon was a possible origin of the long neck of giraffes. We found that in both genders the rate of increase in head mass was hypoallometric with respect to body mass. The rate of increase in neck length was similar in both genders and faster than the rate of increase in body mass. Increases in neck mass tend to be isometric relative to increases in body mass in both genders before puberty (ca 650kg body mass in males and 700kg in females) but in giraffes of greater body mass increases in neck mass are iso-to hyperallometric in both genders, with final neck, body and head mass being greater in males. The only significant gender difference we found for the dimensions of the 19 different head and neck components was that ossicones and skulls were heavier in mature males than in mature females, but increases in skull mass did not alter the growth pattern of head mass significantly. These data suggest that the morphology and growth patterns of the heads and necks of male and female giraffes are similar, that sexual dimorphism of the head and neck is minimal and can be attributed to secretion of sex steroids. We have concluded that there is no evidence that sexual selection was a factor in the evolution of giraffe morphology and that the long neck of giraffes did not evolve as a weapon 2 in males. The more likely selective advantage of a long neck was improvement of access to high level browse.

Giraffe are thought to have excellent vision. We measured eye size, orbit orientation and retina surface area in 27 giraffes of both sexes ranging in age from neonates to mature adults (>10 yrs), to assess how it changes with growth, whether their eye anatomy correlates with their apparently excellent vision and lifestyle, and we have compared our findings with those for other large mammals to assess whether giraffe eye anatomy is unique. We found that giraffe eye volume increases from 33 cm 3 at birth to approximately 65 cm 3 in adults. The focal (axial) length increases from c. 40 to 48 mm in adults and retina surface area from c. 3000 mm 2 at birth to 4320 mm 2 in adults. The orbital axis angle at birth is c. 73°and the horizontal visual field mainly monocular and panoramic. With age the axis angle becomes more acute to c. 50°in adults and the visual field more binocular, changes that occur concurrently with increasing neck length. These results show that the giraffe eye and retinal surface area are larger than in all other ungulates, and their visual fields more binocular, attributes which are consistent with the idea that they have excellent vision.

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 virus was detected in coastal seabirds in late 2017 in South Africa, following a devastating epidemic in the commercial poultry and ostrich industries. By May 2018, the infection had been confirmed in fifteen seabird species at 31 sites along the southern coast, with the highest mortality recorded in terns (Family Laridae, Order Charadriiformes). Over 7,500 positive or suspected cases in seabirds were reported. Among those infected were three endangered species: African penguins (Spheniscus demersus Linnaeus, 1758), Cape cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis Wahlberg, 1855), and Cape gannets (Morus capensis Lichtenstein, 1823). The scale and impact of this outbreak were unprecedented in southern African coastal seabirds and raised logistical challenges in resource allocation, risk mitigation, and outbreak response. It required the collaboration of multiple stakeholder groups, including a variety of government departments and nongovernmental organizations. With another HPAI outbreak in South African seabirds in 2021 and major incursions in seabird species in the northern hemisphere in 2022, it is vital to share and consolidate knowledge on the subject. We describe the epidemic, the lessons learned, and recommendations for developing contingency plans.

We have measured rumen-complex (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum) and intestine (small and large combined) mass in 32 wild giraffes of both sexes with body masses ranging from 289 -1441kg, and parotid gland mass, tongue length and mass, masseter and mandible mass in 9 other giraffes ranging in body mass from 181 to 1396kg. We have estimated metabolic and energy production rates, feed intake and home range size. Interspecific analysis of mature ruminants show that components of the digestive system increase linearly (Mb 1 ) or positively allometric (Mb >1 ) with body mass while variables associated with feed intake scale with metabolic rate (Mb .75 ). Conversely, in giraffes ontogenetic increases in rumen-complex mass were negatively allometric (Mb <1 ), and increases in intestine mass, parotid gland mass, masseter mass, and mandible mass were isometric (Mb 1 ). The relative masseter muscle mass (0.14% of Mb) and the relative parotid mass (0.03% of Mb) are smaller than in other ruminants. Increases in tongue length scale with head length 0.72 and Mb .32 and tongue mass with Mb .69 . Absolute mass of the gastrointestinal tract increased throughout growth but its relative mass declined from 20% to 15% of Mb. Rumen-complex fermentation provides ca43% of daily energy needs, large intestine fermentation 24% and 33% by digestion of soluble carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Dry matter intake (kg) was 2.4 % of body mass in juveniles and 1.6% in adults.Energy requirements increased from 35Mj/day to 190 Mj/day. Browse production rate sustains a core home range of 2.2-11.8 km 2 .