The giraffe is the tallest living animal, uniquely adapted to reach plants high off the ground that other animals can’t get to. Giraffes have a distinctive walking gait, moving both right legs forward and then both left. Dominance between males is established by swinging heads at one another and intertwining necks in tests of strength; you might see this behavior on your next visit to our giraffes.

Scientific Name

Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi

Range

Masai giraffes live in Tanzania and southern Kenya. (other giraffe varieties are found other places in Africa.)

Location

African Forest

Facts

Giraffe ‘horns’ aren’t actually horns at all – they are called ossicones, which are formed by cartilage and covered in skin. When babies are born, their ossicones don’t quite stand up all the way – they start standing up straight as they grow.