The birth of the twin giraffes at NBWR in May 2013 generated international news, and invigorated and connected those biologists and animal caretakers with a vested interest in reversing the alarming decline of giraffe in the wild.
Texas filmmaker Ashley Davison videoed the giraffe twins first week of life. Inspired by their rareness, he connected with the Giraffe Conservation Organization and researchers working with giraffe to learn more. What he learned was alarming, and since 2013 he has been producing a documentary called Last of the Longnecks to provide a glimpse on the reasons why giraffe are dying.
After almost 4 years of researching, planning, filming, and editing, the documentary Last of the Longnecks was invited to Washington DC’s Carnegie Institution of Science where it made its premiere at the Washington DC Environmental Film Festival.
When the world’s ninth recorded set of living giraffe twins were born at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, Ashley Davison was asked to go out and film their first moments of life. That was the footage that was seen in news stories all around the world, including Good Morning America, CNN, and FOX News. The amazing interest brought about research that led to the alarming news of the true devastating plight of wild giraffes in Africa, despite the global classification by the renowned IUCN as ‘least concern’.
The DCEFF hosted a post presentation panel with Director, Ashley Davison, Producer, Catherine Land, and Animal Specialist of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, Tiffany Soechting. The festival also brought Dr. Francois Deacon to the US for the second time in his life and even invited him to the stage to join the panel after discussions began. During his first trip to the US in 2015, he spoke at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch to a group of giraffe caretakers.
Overall, the film was well-received by a crowded theater and attendees brought forth very insightful questions to the panel.
In 2015, Wasswa abrumpty fell ill and was lost. The loss of her life was heartbreaking, but gave a stronger focus to the journey her birth began.