Canadian scientist Anne Innis Dagg, who worked and lived with giraffes, profiled in new documentary

Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, a Canadian natural scientist, should by all rights be a familiar name, right up there with the likes of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey.

In the 1950s, even before Goodall started her world-renowned work with chimpanzees, Dagg was a young woman studying and living with giraffes in the wilds of Africa.

Her research, however, now considered groundbreaking, went unheralded for decades.

Upon her return to Canada, instead of receiving accolades, she was the victim of sexual discrimination in the world of academia," says Theresa MacDonald of the Canadian Federal of University Women, Hamilton chapter.

But despite repeated setbacks, Dagg persevered, becoming a prolific author of many books and scientific papers, a feminist and a conservationist. It wasn't until the release of the award-winning documentary film about her life, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes," that the startling extent of her tenacity was revealed. But for this film, we may never have known about the intrepid pioneer that is Dr. Anne Innis Dagg.

Starting this week, on Oct. 28, the CFUW-Hamilton is conducting a virtual screening of the acclaimed documentary movie that was made about her fascinating life, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes: The Story of Dr. Anne Innis Dagg," directed by Alison Reid.

As part of the event, which will raise money for the CFUW-Hamilton's scholarship fund, there will be a live, up-close-and-personal Q&A, between Dagg, who is now in her late 80s and lives in Kitchener, and director Reid on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $25 and the purchase affords you access to watch the film at any time between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3 in the comfort of your own home.

For tickets and more information, visit bit.ly/3nvx8R9 or contact cfuw-hamilton.com.

Jeff Mahoney is a Hamilton-based reporter and columnist covering culture and lifestyle stories, commentary and humour for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jmahoney@thespec.com