It's not easy being single

It's not easy being a single girl these days...especially if you're a giraffe. Just ask Ruthie, the Qalqilya Zoo's resident female giraffe.

"I don't know who named her Ruthie," said chief veterinarian Sami Hadjar, "I got her six-seven years ago. She was born in 1995, we paid 15,000 dollars to bring here from South Africa. We also brought her a mate, named Brownie."

Brownie apparently passed away during the Intifada in April 2002, panicked by the noise and the shock during Operation Defensive Shield.

The Qalqilya Zoo was given to the Palestinians by the Israeli Civil Administration in the late 1970's ( part of the evil, brutal Israeli occupation). Since then, it's continued to maintain good relations with Israli zoos, especially the Ramat-Gan Safari.

"An adult giraffe costs 20,000 dollars," says Hadjar, at a loss for what to do for a mate for Rosie, "who has that kind of money these days? So I called the Ramat-Gan Safari and they said 'sure, no problem, send Ruthie over for a few months, our males will know what to do.' But their condition was that they weren't to be held responsible if Ruthie became ill. We said no and asked to bring one of their giraffes here, they said no."

So that's where it stands...it's all about the liability and the legalities.

And you think your love life stinks?