Giraffe

Giraffa Camelopardalis

Features:

The tallest land animal reaches a height of 5.5m and weights up to 1.3 tons.

Subject to regions and subspecies the spotted skin differs in colour, contrast and pattern.

Habitat:

Acacia savanna and thornveld. The long neck enables the giraffe to feed on leaves and twigs of trees.

Drinking Giraffe

A giraffe drinks at a waterhole in Etosha National Park as a relative stands guard in the background. When taking water, the defenceless stance makes the adult giraffe vulnaberable to attacks from lions, its only natural enemy. Juveniles may additionally fall prey to leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs.

photo: B. Baron