June 21st

 

June 21^st

                                Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi) 

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Many will be marking the Summer Solstice on 21^st June, but it is also World Giraffe Day, also known as International Giraffe Day. This day was inaugurated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) in 2014 as an occasion to acclaim the tallest animal in the world. It is appropriate that the tallest animal should be associated with the Longest Day.

Giraffe populations have been in decline since 1985 and there are currently only about 117,000 animals left in the wild. This is known as a ‘silent extinction’ because it’s occurring gradually, without much notice.

Giraffes can be seen in sub-Saharan Africa, their major habitats being grasslands and open woodlands in which acacia trees grow abundantly. Giraffes favour acacia trees!

A giraffe is a giraffe is a giraffe, right? That is largely accurate, but there are at least four distinct species. As with all things scientific, knowledge increases over time, and so some zoologists argue for further subdivision.

Masai and Reticulated giraffes are the species of least concern. The Masai are found in Kenya and Tanzania, and the Reticulated giraffes live in southern Ethiopia, Somalia, and northern Kenya.

Detail of Masai giraffe's coat  

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi) has large irregular patches of coloured fur on its body and can reach heights up to six metres, the bulls being taller and heavier than the cows. It is the largest of the giraffes.

                            Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata)

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) is often seen in zoos. Its coat pattern is very different to the Masai giraffe, with clear lighter markings between the reddish-brown squared-off patches, giving the appearance of a net.

The two most endangered species of giraffe are the Northern giraffe and the Southern giraffe.

Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) has suffered many local extinctions and is extremely vulnerable. It lives in protected and unprotected areas in Kenya and Uganda. In unprotected areas, the adults are most at risk, perhaps from poaching, but in protected areas, the young are vulnerable to predation.

Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa)
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa) is mostly seen in southern Africa.

Giraffes have long, prehensile tongues, which are used for tearing leaves from trees. Their tongues are dark, to avoid sunburn, because they spend much of their time browsing. While the front of the tongue is black or purple, the back of the tongue, which remains in the mouth, is pink.

Giraffes are pregnant for about fifteen months and often remove themselves from the rest of the herd to give birth, thus offering a measure of protection from predators.

New-born giraffes calves are about the height of an adult man and are able to run within hours of birth. This is essential in an environment in which they are in danger from predators.

Giraffes can live for thirty years in the wild. Each giraffe’s coat pattern is unique, just as each human’s fingerprints are unique.