The Medici Giraffe: And Other Tales of Exotic Animals and Power (2006) is a seven part documentary of the captivity, transportation, and aristocratic collections of exotic animals, from 275 BC Egypt to the 1970s. It moves from story to story, incorporating elephants, giraffes, the Roman gladiatorial arenas, menageries in 16th and 17th century Prague, to the Chinese government’s gift of two giant pandas to America in 1972.
My favourite
chapter is “The Black Swans of Malmaison” in which Belozerskaya details
Josephine Bonaparte’s plant and animal collection in 18th century
Paris. It relates Nicolas Baudin’s neck and neck race to the southern
continent, Australia, with British explorer Matthew Flinders. Her husband,
Napoleon, “who had a weakness for Australia, readily approved the venture.” Of
the 118 men on board the ship bound for Australia, 22 were scientists: 5
zoologists, 3 botanists, 5 horticulturists, 2 mineralogists, 2 astronomers, 2
hydrologists, and 3 scientific artists. Due to “jumping ship” to seek
employment on other vessels and islands, and due to sickness on the long sea
voyage, only 13 scientists completed the journey.
The
scientists collected 150 species from Australia: 2 black swans, 2 dingoes, 20
kangaroos, 4 emus, 2 wombats, and various other animals and birds. Only 73
survived the return voyage to France, and 50 of them were given to Josephine
Bonaparte (while the remaining 23 went to the Museum of Natural History in
Paris). Emus were Josephine’s least beloved creatures and she swiftly gave them
to the Museum. Hoping to breed kangaroos, Josephine attempted and failed.
However, the two black swans became Josephine’s success story. She was the
first to breed them in captivity as they wandered freely about the grounds of
Malmaison. The swans outlived her.
Included in
the book is the history behind American William Randolph Hearst’s private
collection of lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, an elephant, tigers, African
porcupines, bears, and about 1,500 birds. The epilogue documents China’s gift
of two pandas to the National Zoo in Washington DC as symbols of their renewed
friendship with America in 1972. For Michael Jackson fans, there is no mention
of his famous collection of animals.
Belozerskaya
focuses on a small collection of stories throughout history, and only those of
the rich and powerful – predominantly royals. She begins in ancient Alexandria
and ends in modern-day America, as she seeks to answer wider questions on
people’s fascination with exotic animals, given as diplomatic gifts, cherished
as royal treasures, and symbols of friendship, but also of power. The author
states: “By pondering the relationships we have had with them across the
centuries, we may discover something about ourselves.”
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