Shoulder Height: 5-6 cm, Mass: Up to 1 270 kg, Gestation: 15 months; single calf, occasionally twins; breeds year round.

Both sexes have horns. The cow´s horns turn inwards and are well tufted. It is a gregarious animal with a keen sense of smell and good hearing and sight. It is capable of moving at speeds of up to 50km/h. It feeds during the day and at night. The giraffe is preyed upon by lion despite the fact that it is capable of delivering a fearful kick which could easily kill a lion. In spite of being extremely long, there are only seven vertebrae in a giraffe´s neck ? as found in other mammals. It is a silent animal, occasionally uttering grunts and moans.

Pellet-shaped (longer in bulls than in cows), causing confusion at times with kudu faeces. Pellets are flattened at one end and tend to be more scattered than kudu pellets because of the drop.

Spoor: Unmistakable, square-toed print. The giraffe is prone to breaking its limbs, caused by slipping on wet surfaces.

<< back to list