Two Extremely Rare Dwarf Giraffes Spotted In Namibia And Uganda

The lead author of the paper, Dr. Michael Brown, explained that instances of wild animals with these types of skeletal dysplasias (abnormal development of cells) are extremely rare, and it provides a unique glimpse into the giraffe population living in an already diverse ecosystem. These two in particular were named Gimli—after Tolkien's Lord of the Rings character who's a dwarf—and Nigel, quite possibly after Sir Nigel Pennyweight from Ghoulies. They measure at 9.3 and 8.5 feet in height—in context, the average giraffe is at least 15 feet high (20 feet at most). A regular giraffe measures at 15-20 feet high, but these ones are 8.5 and 9.3 feet high.