Masai Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi

• Latin name “camelopardalis” comes from Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans around the year 46 A.D., and means a mix between a camel and a leopard.
• Their necks are 6’ long, but have only 7 vertebrae, like humans. The vascular system in their necks is equipped with special valves to prevent blood draining from their brains.
• A giraffe’s heart is 2 feet long and weighs 25 lbs.
• Their tongue is 18” long and is used to grasp and hold objects, thereby enabling them to strip tree branches. They love to munch on brambles.
• The giraffe is the only four-legged animal able to deliver a sideways kick. Their kick is strong enough to decapitate a lion.
• Each giraffe’s pattern is different from all others, giving them the equivalent of a fingerprint.
• Giraffes boo, whistle and bellow. They use a frequency lower than that human ears can hear.
• The problem of poaching for meat and skins is responsible for declining numbers in north and western areas of their range. Their main non-human predators are lions with the occasional attack by leopards or hyena.
• They are seen as threats to farmers by competing with domestic stock for food.