Giraffe

Distribution:

Southeast Africa

Habitat:

Dry savannah, open woodlands.

Diet:

Leaves and shoots of trees and shrubs

Gestation:

450 days, one calf born

Longevity:

10 - 15 year in the wild, 20 - 25 years in captivity.

Predators:

Humans, lions and hyenas

Conservation Status:

Least concern

General:

Giraffe are easily identified due to their exclusively long neck. The legs of giraffes are long and solid. The hind legs are shorter than the front legs. The eyes are quite large, the ears are medium-sized and the muzzle is long.

These animals are generally silent; however, they frequently emit a 'moo' sound when in distress. In addition, they give out snorting, bellowing, or grunting sounds when alarmed or encountering a lion.

Female giraffes and their young gather into small herds, keeping constantly together, in order to protect the calves from predators. Males prefer leading solitary lives, travelling long distances to find females to mate with.

Fun fact: Giraffes sleep from 10 minutes to 2 hours a day, which is one of the shortest sleeping requirements among mammals.

At Hamilton Zoo:

You can find our giraffe at the rear of the zoo, past the wetlands from the oasis lawn.

We have two giraffes in our bachelor herd; Masamba and Dume.

Mammals