A few years ago I read an article about breeding shoe-box sized elephants. While I didn't believe a word of it, I had (oddly enough) stumbled upon a few articles concerning this while researching other projects.
Yes, I research some pretty strange stuff.
Anyways, one day I was watching TV (I think it was an episode of NCIS... love that show) and I saw this commercial:
My first response was, "That has to be fake." But those stupid shoe-box elephants kept popping into my head, so I dug around a bit. What I found surprised me:
That's the logo for the Sokoblovsky Farms in Russia. Touted as the "Finest Purveyors of Miniature Lap Giraffes" in the world, Sokoblovsky Farms has been breeding these tiny little critters for generations. An adult stands a whopping 76 cm (29.9") in height.
They live off of distilled water and bonsai tree leaves--and according to the site "They need lots of love. Hugs and kisses every day. Otherwise they make tears."
Isn't that just too cute to be real???
Yep. It sure is. But this is one hell of a marketing campaign. DirectTV accidentally (or purposefully) created a pet-lover's frenzy over these tiny little non-existent critter. This is due primarily to the detailed website. Not only can you explore the history of the breeding of petite giraffes, but you can also watch a "live" video feed from the farm as the little animals wander about or sleep. Couple that with numerous "historical" photos and some paragraphs written in humorously broken English, and you have quite a believable combination. But it goes one step further: you can put yourself on a waiting list to purchase your own tiny giraffe.
But unless genetic manipulation makes a huge leap in the next few years, something tells me that's gonna be a long wait.
Oh, well. Until Petite Lap Giraffes are real, I'll just have to settle for my House Hippo.
To watch tiny giraffes wander about a farm yard, go here!