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Types of giraffes

There are many different theories when it comes to the number of species of giraffe. Some researchers say there is one species of giraffe that is divided into six subspecies. Other researchers say there are four species of giraffe with two species of giraffe being divided into subspecies. At Safaripark, like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, we adhere to the second theory. We distinguish four species of giraffe which in turn have different subspecies:

• Giraffa tippelskirchi (Masaigiraffe)

• Giraffa giraffa (Southern giraffe)

  • Giraffa giraffa giraffa (Cape giraffe)

  • Giraffe giraffa angolensis (Angola giraffe)

• Giraffa camelopardalis (Northern giraffe)

  • Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum (Kordofangiraffe)

  • Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis (Nubian giraffe).

  • Giraffa camelopardalis peralta (Chad giraffe)

• Giraffa reticulata (Netgiraffe/Somali giraffe)

In the Beekse Bergen you will find three (sub)species of giraffes. In the Safaripark you will find Nubian giraffes and in the Safari Resort you will find Nubian giraffes on the Serengeti savannah and on the Masai Mara savannah Nubian giraffes, Kordofangiraffes and Netgiraffes.

The Okapi (Okapia johnstoni)

The Okapi, also called forest giraffe, is the only surviving relative of the giraffe. They both belong to the family Giraffidae. The okapi is somewhat similar to the giraffe: they have a long tongue, small horns and large ears. However, the Okapi is smaller than the giraffe and has a much shorter neck. It also looks like it is crossed with a zebra because of the black and white stripes on its butt. This is not true! Thus, the okapi is related to the giraffe and not to the zebra.

What does a giraffe look like?

The giraffe is an even-toed mammal that you can recognize mainly by its long neck and spotting pattern. The neck of a giraffe quickly reaches a height of two meters, allowing its entire body to reach a height between four and six meters! This makes the giraffe the tallest animal in the world.

The tongue of a giraffe

Not only is a giraffe's neck long, its tongue is also very long. A giraffe's tongue is between 30 and 45 centimeters long! This is very convenient for him because it allows them to easily pick leaves from trees. Just look at a giraffe's tongue during the car or bus safari in Safaripark. Its tongue is very rough, so it is not bothered by the sharp thorns of the acacia tree. Also, the tongue has a darker color than our tongue. It is a little blue/purple! This is very advantageous because this way the tongue cannot burn. In fact, a giraffe stands in the sun for much of the day picking leaves with its tongue. A pink tongue like ours would then be burned by the sun. Because of this dark pigment in the tongue, the giraffe does not burn its tongue!

The neck of a giraffe

Many mammals, including us humans, have seven cervical vertebrae. Looking at the long neck of a giraffe, you would expect it to have many more. Yet a giraffe also has seven cervical vertebrae! The difference is that a giraffe's neck vertebrae are a lot larger than those of other mammals. A giraffe's neck is about two meters long!

The skin of a giraffe

A characteristic feature of the giraffe is its spotting pattern. Each giraffe has its own spotting pattern, just like a human's fingerprint. This spotting pattern serves as camouflage. The spotting patterns of giraffes vary by subspecies.

The head of a giraffe

On the top of its head, a giraffe has horns. Both males and females have these horns. You can also often tell the difference between males and females by this. The horns of females and young are thinner and often have dark tufts of hair. In males, the horn is often thicker and bald. This is because they use the horns to fight. This causes the hairs on the horns to wear down. If you look closely, the giraffe also has five additional "bumps" on their heads. These are outgrowths of the skull.

The legs of a giraffe

The giraffe also has long legs. The front legs are slightly longer than the back legs. The giraffe is a counting giraffe. This means the left legs move at the same time and then the right legs. Giraffes cannot swim well. Because of its long legs, it cannot make good swimming movements. A giraffe, however, can kick very hard. With a good kick, a giraffe can easily crush the skull of a lion. Also, like us, a giraffe can kick sideways! Many hoofed animals cannot do this.

The tail of a giraffe

A giraffe's tail is about one meter long. At its end is a black tassel. The tail is used by giraffes as a fly swatter. Unfortunately, giraffes are hunted a lot for their tails, among other things. Bracelets are made from the hairs of their tails.

Come see the giraffes up close at Safaripark!

What does a giraffe eat?

A giraffe eats mainly acacia leaves. These grow on an acacia tree. When these are not in its reach, a giraffe also eats other leaves, buttons and fruits from shrubs and trees. An adult giraffe eats about 60 to 65 pounds a day! Thanks to its height, a giraffe can easily reach the highest leaves on the tree.

How does a giraffe drink?

A giraffe can go a long time without water. The leaves it eats contain a lot of moisture, so a giraffe does not need to drink often. This is very convenient because when a giraffe drinks, it is very vulnerable. A giraffe drinks with his front legs spread out, so that his neck can go down between his legs. This prevents him from quickly coming up for any danger and makes it very likely that a predator will attack him on his neck.

Giraffe calves

A young giraffe is called a calf. After a gestation period of fourteen to fifteen months, a giraffe calf is born. A young is born while the mother is standing or sometimes walking upright. Once the cub is born, it falls as much as two meters down! A newborn giraffe calf is nearly two meters tall and weighs about fifty pounds. It can stand within fifteen minutes and even run away. This is very important in the wild, otherwise the chances are very high that the cub will be eaten by predators. A giraffe calf is not born with its horns upright, but these still lie flat on the skull. After a week, they stand upright.

Threats from giraffes

In the wild, giraffes are under threat. The areas where they live are becoming smaller and smaller as people need more space for cities and agriculture. Giraffes are also hunted for their meat, as well as their tails.

The role of zoos is to preserve and protect of endangered species. European parks work closely together to achieve this goal and do so with a management program (EEP).. The giraffe is also part of this. This is how a healthy reserve population is maintained. Discover more about species conservation and our role in it. here.

Nature conservation

Not only giraffes, but many of the animal species you see in our park are endangered and struggling in their original habitats. Did you know that worldwide more than 4,000 species threatened with extinction are? Together we can help them, with big, or small steps. Want to know how? Then click here.

Stichting Wildlife

Stichting Wildlife, along with Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Sahara Conservation Fund, helps giraffes in the wild. They protect giraffes, conduct research and provide information about giraffes to local people. Want to know more about Stichting Wildlife? Then click here.

How does a giraffe sleep?

Sleeping is quite dangerous for a giraffe. This is because when a giraffe goes to sleep, it lies on the ground with its legs bent and its head on its back. A giraffe cannot get up quickly in this way, making it very susceptible to predators.

Giraffes, on the other hand, are very fond of taking naps. They do this standing up and only for a short time each time. Taking naps several times a day helps them get enough sleep!

Want to know exactly how giraffes sleep and how this works exactly? Ranger Floor tells you more about this in the Ranger Request below.

What kind of sound does a giraffe make?

It was long thought that a giraffe could not make a sound. After all, its windpipe is four meters long, so it would be too long to produce a powerful sound. After much research, it turns out that giraffes do make a sound, but it is very low. As a result, it cannot always be detected with the human ear. The sound sounds like a hum. When the cub is in danger, it makes a loud, bleating sound.

The sound of a giraffe is very difficult to hear. Nevertheless, Ranger Jannah went in search of the answer to the question "What sound does a giraffe make?". Listen to the sound of a giraffe for yourself below.

Giraffes in a group

Giraffes are very distant from each other and do not maintain a long-term bond. They do form groups, but these are not close-knit and the giraffes can leave the herd whenever they want. Such a group consists of about twenty animals. Only during feeding or when a predator is nearby do they come closer together.

Where do giraffes live?

Giraffes live in sub-Saharan Africa. They live on savannahs, grasslands and open woodlands. They are also common in African game parks.

Did you know...

You can spend the night very close to the giraffes at Safari Resort Beekse Bergen?