For a herder (放牧人) in Africa, the hardest part of the job is searching for cattle lost in the bush. But for Andrew, a herder at a farm in Zimbabwe, it's not a problem. Once he spots Toro, he knows the rest of the herd is nearby. That's because Toro isn't an ordinary member of the herd. He's a giraffe. In hot weather, cattle rest in the shade under his belly. And because of his height, Toro can spot lions long before they come close to the herd.
Toro's unusual situation came about after his mother was killed by lions. Toro survived the attack, but he was left with no one to protect him or give him milk. About two days later, some herders spotted and rescued him. With the permission of the Department of Wildlife, the herders moved Toro to Andrew's farm. Since giraffes and cattle are both plant-eating animals that live in groups, their behaviors are much the same. Toro was accepted into the herd and wandered among the cattle as they ate grass.
Toro doesn't always behave like the other members of his new herd. Like many kinds of animals, cattle compete for dominance (支配). Standing more than 13 feet tall, Toro is more than three times taller than the biggest bull, But Toro never tries to be "the boss. "He is very used to their company, " Andrew said. When the herd enters the kraal (家畜栏), the cows and bulls push each other. "But thanks to his height, Toro does not need to join the mess, " said Andrew.
When asked if Toro would ever be returned to the wild, Munetsi, an officer of the Department of Wildlife said no. "In the wild, he would find it difficult to be accepted into another herd or defend himself from predators (猎食者)," he added. "He seems very much at home and is respected by the cattle."
