Giraffes

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by Sally K. Church

"The giraffe is a gentle, inoffensive, and defenceless creature, and never uses its horns or teeth in self-defence", wrote Berthold Laufer, although it can use its heels to "deal a very powerful kick" (Laufer 1928, p. 7). Perhaps it was its gentleness that attracted Fei Xin to the zarafa on the voyage back from Bengal to China in 1414 during Zheng He's maritime expeditions. He was one of the few eyewitnesses who recorded its Arabic name.

Usually it is called a qilin in Chinese sources. A qilin is a mythical animal that mysteriously appears when an enlightened emperor is on the throne. Doubtless the Chinese envoys on the 15th century maritime expeditions chose to claim that this was a qilin in order to flatter the emperor. At least four giraffes were transported from foreign lands to China during the time of the maritime expeditions (1405-1433).

Ma Huan describes them in some detail and tells us about their favourite foods.