Plymouth Zoo, Devon, England, United Kingdom
The Plymouth Zoo Giraffe Photo
Wilfred Power photographed a giraffe at Plymouth Zoo in 1972. A small sharp-edged disc-like form was noticed only after the film was developed; Power did not report seeing an object in the sky at the time.
Why This Case Matters
A classic accidental-photo case whose main value is teaching the difference between a striking image and a strong event: provenance to a named photographer exists, but observation, scale and original-negative analysis do not.
Chronology
- 1972 Power takes giraffe photograph
- object not noticed during exposure
- image later developed/circulated
- print reportedly given to Plymouth UFO Research Group in 1980
- image enters Fortean/press archives
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Bird or insect crossing the frame, film/processing defect, dust/foreign material, or lens/optical artefact. None can be excluded without the negative and full technical context.
What Remains Unresolved
- Original negative/full-resolution scan
- camera/lens/shutter settings
- exact date
- first publication
- whether other frames exist
- formal photographic analysis.
Key Takeaways
- Keep the image, but label it an accidental photograph and avoid implying a witnessed craft. It is visually strong and evidentially weak.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: