Giraffe

Scientific Name: Giraffe camelopardalis

Subspecies: Normally divided into northern and southern species: The Northern subspecies: Nubian Giraffe ( G. c. camelopardialis) Reticulated Giraffe (G. c. reticulata) Baringo Giraffe (G. c. rothschildi) The southern subspecies: Kenya Giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi) Southern Giraffe (G. c. giraffa)

Distribution: The different species of Giraffe have common areas of distribution from Senegal in the West to Ethiopia and Somalia in the East, as well as along the East African coast to the northern parts of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

Habitat: Dry open country, covered with bush and acacia. They penetrate into light forest, but never into dense forest.

Description: Unmistakable. The silhouette of this very large animal, the tallest in the world, its very long neck with a short stiff mane, its sloping back and its long limbs make it very easy to identify. It weighs around 2 Tons and has a shoulder height of around 3,5 meters. Colour pattern consisting of chestnut brown cut into patches by a netwoerk of light buff lines, very variable in size and shape. The giraffe has one pair of frontal horns, covered with skin and hair, on top of head, a median horn, on the forehead and sometimes a pair of very small horn-like protuberances on the occipit. This varies from subspecies to subspecies.

Hunting method: Pursch.

Best Trophy: The giraffe is not a trophy carrying animal as such. Furthermore it only has little value as a trophy. Many giraffes are shot for the meat only. The giraffe is also very difficult to bring down.

Hunting available in: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.