to reach astronomical heights of over 5.5
metres. The name giraffe has its roots in
the Arabic and directly translated it means
"fast walker" no small feature when you
consider the strides one can take with legs
that are 1.8 metres long!
would have one believe that the giraffe is in
fact a camel of sorts. However it does not
possess any of the same traits of an actual
camel.
most certainly its height. It is also a factor
that has an impact on the animal's entire
life. You see giraffe mothers, because of
the unusual shape of their legs and the
difficulty of lying down, give birth standing
up. This means that little ones are dropped
a staggering 2 metres at birth. While we
may jest about being dropped as children,
giraffes literally are.
vegetation around them to camouflage and
hide themselves from predators while their
mother's continue to forage in the bushveld
around them.
such a time as they are weaned. Because
they are exceptionally social animals, these
crèche's are where they learn the subtle
art of being a giraffe and where they are
taught to forage for themselves. Giraffes are
weaned at about 18 months old.
1,600 kg's, its physique is slim and slender
and its appearance is characterised by its
long legs and neck, and its relatively stocky
body.
quilt, the giraffe's coat provides it with a
camouflage second to none, which also
makes it one of the most difficult animals to
spot in the African bushveld, a place it calls
home. On top of its head, a giraffe also has
what are known as ossicones, these look like
horns with small tufts of hair on them. These
ossicones help with heat regulation and are
used by males when in combat. They are
also particularly useful in identifying the sex
of the animal as the females tend to be long
and thin with tufts of long hair at the ends,
whereas the male's tend to be thicker and
rounder at the ends.
general appearance is bigger than their lady
counterparts.
of their head giraffes have a good range of
vision, vision that is processed in colour,
which is unusual for animals in the bush.
we would like to introduce the african giraffe