01803cam a2200325 4500 758509430 TxAuBib 20061018120000.0 060321s2006||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2006009659 9780316525657 0316525650 (OCoLC)65207069 DLC DLC BAKER GK8 UKM C#P COO VP@ YDXCP YBM AGL OCLCQ DLC TxGR TxAuBib Belozerskaya, Marina, 1966- The Medici giraffe [Book] : and other tales of exotic animals and power / Marina Belozerskaya. 1st ed. New York, NY : Little, Brown and Co., 2006. xv, 414 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. [391]-402) and index. Elephants for a kingdom -- Controlling nature in the Roman arena -- How a giraffe turned a merchant into a prince -- Human animals in the new world and the old -- Rudolf II's empire of knowledge -- The black swans of Malmaison -- Beyond private delight -- Little people in furry suits. A history of the influential role of exotic animals cites their application as diplomatic gifts and royal treasures, sharing such tales as those about the organized Medici hunts that were aided by cheetahs, Josephine Bonaparte's black swan breeding practices, and William Randolph Hearst's private California preserve. 20061018. Wild animals as pets History. Wild animal collecting History. Exotic animals History. Human-animal relationships History. Diplomatic gifts History. RV8