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Our herd
Giraffe are the tallest living land animals. They average 17’ to 18’ tall. The
scientific name 'camelopardalis' originated from an early explorer who thought that the giraffe resembled a cross between a camel and a leopard. At Fossil Rim you will generally find a breeding bull and a small herd of females. Try to get a look at their impressive tongues which are around 18” long. Watch as they wrap them around the tree branches to strip the leaves off for food.
How they live
The giraffes migrate seasonally throughout their pasture to their preferred food. When
trees begin budding in the spring, the giraffe raom all over looking for the freshest, tastiest buds.
Of all areas, our game preserve most closely resembles the African bush savannah
because of the way the trees have been browsed by the giraffes,
stripped of vegetation on the lower limbs.
On hot days they often sleep standing up for brief
intervals, and lie down for true sleep for intervals of approximately
20 minutes. Giraffe are usually quiet, making few vocalizations. The patterns on a giraffe are unique to each individual, much like that of a human fingerprint.
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