蜜芽传媒

In this episode Katherine Rundell turns her gaze skyward to the giraffe - a creature so improbable, it has long unhinged human imagination. From ancient Rome, where Caesar鈥檚 giraffe was paraded as a marvel and called the 鈥渃ameleopard,鈥� to medieval cosmographers who theorised its origins as a hybrid of hyena, camel, and cow, the giraffe has inspired centuries of enthusiastic, if wildly inaccurate, storytelling, its elegance and strangeness sparking delight across cultures and eras.

But beyond the myth lies the miracle of biology. Giraffes gestate for fifteen months before their calves drop five feet to the earth - and they stand within minutes. Despite their height and grandeur, they are gentle hosts to the small: oxpeckers have been seen nestled in their armpits during rainstorms. Sadly, despite their quiet dignity and resilience, their numbers have been dwindling. Giraffe parts remain legal to trade in some countries, including the United States, which has yet to classify them as endangered.

Yet the giraffe鈥檚 power lies not in rarity, but in wonder. Rundell recounts the story of La Belle Girafe, who arrived in Paris in 1827 - a moment that sent the city into a frenzy of giraffe-mania. Though Paris eventually tired of its miracle, the giraffe remains a symbol of the earth鈥檚 glorious improbability.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Produced for 蜜芽传媒 Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan