The Bud Werner Library is currently streaming the award-winning documentary “The Woman Who Loves Giraffes” for free using your library card. The film can be accessed through May 22 on the library’s website at steamboatlibrary.org/events/giraffes.
In 1956, Anne Innis Dagg, a 23-year-old biologist, embarked on a groundbreaking solo journey to South Africa to study giraffes in the wild. This expedition occurred four years before Jane Goodall began her work with chimps and seven years before Dian Fossey’s research with mountain gorillas. However, upon returning home a year later, Dagg encountered numerous obstacles as a female scientist that were difficult to overcome.
The documentary showcases Dagg’s life experiences as a young woman while also shedding light on the challenges faced by giraffes today. Dagg, who sadly passed away in April at the age of 91, provides viewers with an intimate glimpse into her extraordinary journey and the harsh realities that giraffes currently endure in the wild.