Dubbo Western Plains Zoo

Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardali

Even though a giraffe's neck is very long, it still has only seven vertebrae - the same as humans. However, the distance from its head to its heart requires special values to regulate the flow of blood. So, when a giraffe lowers its head to drink it won't have a sudden rush of blood or pass out.

Dubbo Zoo has been successful at breeding a number of animals, including giraffes. Giraffes usually give birth standing up. When the baby is born, it drops to the ground - that's a 1.8 metre (6 foot) drop!

Giraffe calves can stand up within five minutes and double their birth height in their first year of life.

A giraffe's tongue is strong, flexible and nearly half a metre long. Stretching and curling around leaves and twigs, the giraffe's tongue can strip all the leaves from a branch or pluck them one by one. Its dark blue colour protects it from sunburn.

Photographs by Justin Sullivan. Some text courtesy of Dubbo Western Plains Zoo

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