By Obiabin Onukwugha
The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus Giraffa. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth.
The giraffe’s chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its spotted coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi.
Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits, and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach.
Giraffes grow to nearly their full height by four years of age but gain weight until they are seven or eight. Males weigh up to 1,930 kg (4,250 pounds), females up to 1,180 kg (2,600 pounds).
The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern cultures for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable to extinction and has been extirpated from many parts of its former range.
In reproduction, females first breed at four or five years of age. Gestation in geraffe is 15 months. Though most calves are born in dry months in some areas, births can take place in any month of the year.
Giraffes have an average lifespan of about 25 years in their natural habitat and a range of 20 to 27 years in human care.
Giraffes are vital to keeping ecosystems in balance. They eat the browse that others cannot reach, which promotes growth of forage and opens up areas for themselves and other smaller browsers to make use of.
Why the Giraffe Has a Long Neck
It is said that in the beginning, the Creator gave Giraffe the same legs and neck as all the other animals; in fact Giraffe resembled some of the larger antelope such as Eland and Kudu.
All was well until one year a terrible drought afflicted the land. All the animals began to go hungry, as the best grazing and browsing were eaten. All that remained were the bitter tufts of yellowed turpentine grass and dry, shriveled twigs.
There was great competition among the animals and they had to walk many miles each day between feeding areas and the few remaining waterholes. In times like these, only the fittest and strongest could survive.
One day, Giraffe met his friend, Rhino, out on the scorched plains where the dust-devils whirled and the horizon shimmered in the terrible heat. They trudged wearily along the rail back to the waterhole, and as they walked they complained about the hard times and the lack of food.
“Ahh, my friend,” said Giraffe “See how there are too many animals searching out here on the plains. All they do is trample the remaining grass into the dust. And yet, look at those tall acacia tress over there.”
“OOMPHHHH,” said Rhino. (He wasn’t and still isn’t a very gifted talker.) “How lovely it would be,” continued Giraffe, “to be able to reach the topmost branches, where the tender green leaves are. Now there you have plenty of food, but I can’t climb trees and I don’t suppose you could either.”
Rhino agreed, squinting nearsightedly up at the beautiful canopy of thick green leaves. “Perhaps,” he said. “we could see the Man-Magician.” He paused. “He’s very wise and powerful,” as he nibbled a dry twig, thinking.
“What a good idea!” said Giraffe, “Which way, old friend? Do you think he could help us?”
The two friends set off into the sunset, stopping on the way for a quick drink at the muddy waterhole.
After a long and tiring walk through the night and halfway through the next day, Rhino and Giraffe finally found the dwelling of the witchdoctor and explained their problem.
The Man-Magician laughed and said, “OH, that is fairly easy. Come here tomorrow at noon and I will give you both a magic herb to eat. It will make your legs and your necks grow so long, that you will be able to reach the tree tops!”
“The Man-Magician busied himself preparing his magic, and Giraffe and Rhino, both greatly excited, went back to the waterhole.
The next day, only Giraffe was at the witchdoctor’s hut at the arranged time.
Poor dimwitted Rhino had found of nice green grass which has somehow escaped the notice of the other animals.
And, quite forgetting about his noon appointment, he was greedily tucking into this unexpected meal.
After waiting for some time for Rhine to appear, the Man magician finally grew impatient. He gave Giraffe all of the magic herbs and disappeared into the shade of his hut.
Giraffe ate them all up, and as soon as he had finished, he felt the strangest tingling feeling in his legs and neck. He blinked. The ground was getting further away! What a funny feeling! Giraffe closed his eyes in half-fear, half-giddiness. Then he opened them again.
Oh, how the world had changed! He saw high up in the air, he could see for miles! He looked down at his long, long legs and his long, long neck and smiled. The magic had worked wonderfully well. And there, level with his eyes not two paces away, was the thick green canopy of a tall acacia tree.
Eventually Rhino remembered where he was supposed to be, and trotted hurriedly up to the witchdoctor’s hut. He was too late. He saw the new tall, elegant giraffe browsing from the tree tops to his heart’s content, free from the competition of all the other animals.
When the Man-Magician told him that there was no magic herb left, Rhino lost his temper, thinking that the Man-Magician had tricked him.
He lowered his great sharp horn and charged, chasing him a long way into the bush.
To this day, Rhino is always very bad tempered and chases people whenever he is reminded of the Giraffe’s greatest gift, his long beautiful neck.