Long-necked diplomacy: the tale of the third giraffe

In the 21^st century, it's pandas. But in the 1820s, the diplomatic gift du jour was a giraffe. Historian Olivier Lebleu tells the story of a very special animal sent to Austria, a giraffe that inspired cakes and pastries.

Name: The Emperor's giraffe
Species: Giraffa camelopardalis
Dates: c. 1824-1829
Claim to fame: First giraffe in Austria
Where now: Unknown

In the late 1820s, the Pasha of Egypt Muhammad Ali sent three giraffes to Europe. This was no blind generosity, but a clever diplomatic manoeuvre.