About the Giraffe:

The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. The name “giraffe” has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word “zarafa”. It has a camel-like appearance. Its closest relative is the Okapi. Although a giraffe’s neck is 1.5 – 1.8 metres, it contains the same number of vertebrae at a human neck.

Both sexes have skin covered knobs on the top of their heads called Ossicones which the males use for fighting. Female ossicones are covered by tufts of hair and can be identified this way.

Giraffe Habitat:

The Giraffe is scattered throughout Africa, primarily South Africa, Chad and Somalia. Drinking is one of the most dangerous times for a giraffe. While it is getting a drink it cannot keep a look out for predators and is vulnerable to attack.

Because of their tall bodies and extremely long necks, giraffes eat the leaves on the very top branches. They can eat around 34kg of foliage per day and they only require water every 3 days.