Children are optimists, and they are rarely afraid to dream big. For a child, possibilities are limitless in a world that is constantly revealing new and exciting phenomena to be examined and absorbed. Canadian zoologist Anne Innis Dagg’s long love affair with the giraffe began in 1936 when she was three and saw a small herd of these animals at a zoo while on vacation. Her obsession endured throughout her school years and into college age, when (after a winning a gold medal for her academic work) she was laughed at for requesting to travel to Kenya and Tanzania for the sole purpose of studying giraffes.

Eventually a cattle farmer in South Africa agreed to let her conduct some research on the wild giraffes that he hosted on his property; it never occurred to him at the time (1956) that she was female, had no money and had very little experience in conducting field research. “I didn’t think I was a rebel,” she says. “I just know when I want to do something, and I do it.” She pauses, then adds matter-of-factly: “It’s quite a simple explanation.”

I wonder if Anne nurtured this same attitude and this same dream from the impressionable age of three years? Now a world renowned expert on giraffology, just what did she think when she saw those magnificent creatures for the very first time? You can learn more about Anne in a documentary about her life: The Woman Who Loves Giraffes. It has been shown in limited theatre releases and at festivals since September 2018, to consistent standing ovations, and will eventually hit the small screen (it’s available now on iTunes).

Anne’s life is yet another testimony to the importance of never underestimating the interests of a child. As the saying goes, no dreamer is ever too small, and no dream is ever too big.