The Giraffe Conservation Foundation began World Giraffe Day as an awareness campaign to highlight some of the challenges these long-necked creatures face globally.
Get to know giraffes better, and even learn something new, today with these interesting facts.
Calves spend a lot of their time lying down or standing with small amounts of movement to concentrate their entire food intake toward growth. Growing fast is part of a giraffe’s ‘anti-predator strategy.’
Their main pair of horns are present in the embryo. They lie flat until a few days after birth.
They have the strongest tongue of any animal, which can be more than 20 cm long
There are 117 000 giraffes worldwide
Giraffes can spot early danger signs and alert animals nearby due to their superior vision and height
Giraffes do in fact have a voice box. However, due to their narrow trachea and small lung capacity, it is difficult to produce sounds.
They have small power naps while standing throughout the day due to predatory dangers. They have one of the shortest sleep requirements of all mammals.
They live up to 25 years in the wild
They can eat up to 45 kg of twigs and leaves a day
Pictures: GettyImages
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