In 1824, "Mohamed Ali Pasha" sent a giraffe as a royal gift to the King of France. Its journey began in Sudan, passing through the "Nile," Cairo, and Alexandria, until it reached the port of Marseille, becoming the first giraffe to enter France in 300 years. It was transported in a grand procession to Paris, where the king personally received it, captivating the French in what was later termed "Giraffemania." After its death in 1845, it was taxidermied and displayed at the "Natural History Museum" in La Rochelle, remaining one of the strangest gifts in history.

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