“…One hypothesis is that if social networks offer survival benefits to young, and those social networks are disrupted (potentially by high levels of disturbance, as demonstrated in hyaenas; Belton et al, ), could this disruption result in reduced survival of young? It is well established that stable social networks facilitate the survival of the young (Brent et al, ; Brent, Ruiz‐Lambides, & Platt, ; Cameron et al, ; Goldenberg et al, ; Lahdenperä, Mar, & Lummaa, ; Silk et al, , ; Stanton & Mann, ), so it seems plausible that disruption of those networks could influence calf survival, and potentially explain the lack of calves in LNNP. There is evidence of alloparental care in giraffes; young calves are frequently left in a crèche system, cared for by adults other than their mother (Leuthold, ; Pratt & Anderson, , ); there are several reports of allonursing (Gloneková, Brandlová, & Pluháček, ; Gloneková, Vymyslická, Žáčková, & Brandlová, ; Perry, ; Pratt & Anderson, ); and females express distress behaviours following the death of another individual's calf (Bercovitch, ; Strauss & Muller, ).…”