Reticulated Giraffes
All of our giraffes at the Texas Zoofari Park are reticulated giraffes. Native to the Horn of Africa, they are recognizable by their distinct coat pattern of large brown spots outlined with tan lines.
In the Wild
Approximately 8,500 reticulated giraffes reside in Somalia, southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. They live mainly in savannas, woodlands and seasonal floodplains. Giraffes rarely lie down to sleep but rather doze throughout the day.
Learn What the Giraffe Eats
Taking advantage of their height, giraffes use their long, purple tongues to grab leaves and new shoots from the tops of trees. Reticulated giraffes eat more than 75 pounds of vegetation every day but they drink only a few times a week and can even go weeks at a time without any water!
Tour the Animal’s Habitat
There is nothing quite like feeding a giraffe up close. These gentle giants love eating romaine right out of your hand!
QUICK FACTS
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Newborn giraffe’s height: 6 feet
Gestation period: 15 months
Daily sleep: 30 minutes
DID YOU KNOW?
Giraffes rarely lie down to sleep but rather doze throughout the day.
Reticulated giraffes are recognizable by their distinct coat pattern of large brown spots outlined with tan lines.
They eat more than 75 pounds of vegetation daily.
There are approximately 8,500 reticulated giraffes left in the wild.
CONSERVATION
Reticulated giraffes’ status is vulnerable. One of the subspecies of giraffe suffering population decline, their primary threats in the wild is habitat loss and degradation, illegal hunting, and poaching. We partner with conservation organizations in Africa to protect giraffes in their native lands.