World Giraffe Day: Behind the Long Neck and the Quest for Conservation

world giraffe day

Let’s meet the tallest animal in the world, giraffe! A very special day for this unique animal is celebrated annually on 21 June, named world giraffe day. Their long necks, thin legs, lovely body patterns, and furry skin makes them some weird at first glance, yet they are very attractive and beautiful. 

World Giraffe Day History

Giraffes have been a part of our lives from a long ago, dating back to ancient Egyptian tomb paintings. Ancient Egyptians had a strong belief about the importance of giraffe tail hair that’s why they used it for weaving belts and jewelry. However, domestication of giraffes started among people after a long time.

World giraffe day was basically an initiative taken by the GCF (Giraffe Conservation Foundation). The main aim behind the declaration of this day was to bring mindfulness among the people about the giraffes and their life. This was due to the rapidly declining population of giraffes. According to GCF findings, only 100,000 giraffes are left in the wild, which is really a high-risk situation.

Facts about Giraffe

Common Name

Scientific Name

Number of Species

Population Size

Lifespan

Weight

Length

Top Speed

Predator

Prey

Most Distinctive Feature

Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis

   1 

117,000

20 to 25 years

  1600 – 3000 pounds

16 – 18 feet

   56 km/h 

Lions, Hyenas, African wild dogs and Crocodiles

    Acacia leaves, fruits

Long neck and distinctive spotted coat  

Importance

The determination of the giraffe day is to celebrate the presence of these tallest mammals in the world. Second purpose of this day is to know the challenges they are facing currently in their natural habitats. This is the day which reminds us about the declining population of giraffes as they are being affected by various factors like habitat loss, human-wildlife conflicts, and illegal hunting. World giraffe day spreads this message across the world to promote the welfare and well-being of giraffes.

Timeline

30 million years back

Emerging out of Artiodactyla

Due to the unique appearance of giraffes, they emerged out from the ‘Artiodactyla’ group.

1500 B.C.

Adoption of giraffe

The animal collection of the Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut included a giraffe.

13th century

Giraffe hide in use

People in East Africa started to make and use the giraffe skin, also known as giraffe hide.

2016

Giraffes became vulnerable

Being hunted for meat, hides and body parts, giraffes were declared as ‘vulnerable’ by I.U.C.N.

Statistics that Matter

  • Giraffes, being the tallest land animals reach heights of up to 18 feet
  • Length of giraffe neck is around 6 feet
  • Spot pattern of each giraffe is completely different from other
  • Heartbeat have high heart rate ranging from 150 – 170 beats per minute
  • Height of baby giraffes (calves) is about 6 feet
  • Tongue length of giraffes is around 18 inches
  • Giraffes being herbivores, consume up to 34 kilograms of food daily
  • Giraffes need very short sleep, maximum of 30 minutes per day

How to Celebrate Giraffe Day?

Happy World Giraffe Day

Discover Giraffes

Doesn’t matter if you are familiar with giraffes or not before, this is the day to explore their habitat, diet and life. Find out from internet about them or visit a nearby library to discover about giraffes.

Preserve Giraffes

Take step to save the giraffe population in the world. You can do this by spreading the awareness among the people or teaching your children about the declining population of giraffes.

Donate to G.C.F

You can make donations to some trusted organizations such as G.C.F. Even a little amount of your money can help some needy one by proper care and safety.

Try Your Hand

Draw some paintings of giraffe, even if you are a newbie in painting, you can take help from internet. Or try to make some giraffe-inspired crafts.

Domestication and Care

Domestication of giraffes is not recommended at all as they have some special requirements such as their diet and wild habitat. Their extra-long body needs suitable place for living as well as a large amount of food. Currently, giraffes are only found in the wild or the zoos where nature-like environment is provided to them.

World Giraffe Day Dates

YearDateDay
2024June 21Friday
2025June 21Saturday 
2026June 21Sunday
2027June 21Monday
2028  June 21  Wednesday

FAQs

There is only 1 species of giraffe that is Giraffa Camelopardalis. However, this species is further distributed into 9 subspecies. These nine subspecies of giraffe are:

  • Nubian giraffe: Found in East Africa
  • Reticulated giraffe: Found in Kenya and Ethiopia
  • Kordofan giraffe: Found in central and western Africa
  • Masai giraffe: Found in Kenya and Tanzania
  • Angolan giraffe: Found in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
  • South African giraffe: Found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique
  • Thornicroft’s giraffe: Found in the Luangwa Valley of Zambia
  • West African giraffe: Found in Niger
  • Rothschild’s giraffe: Found in Uganda and Kenya

Since, giraffes are wild animals, they are not typically bought or sold like domesticated pets. Yet due to various factors, they have been traded illegally in the past. They are much expensive creature starting from $60,000 or even more.

The main diet of giraffes include the leaves and twigs of acacia, mimosa, and wild apricot trees. However, giraffes need a huge amount of food to fill their belly. They typically eat about 66 pounds of food a day, which is really too much!

Mudassar Ahmad

He is a seasoned blogger since 2012 and an M.Phil graduate in English Linguistics. He captivates readers with his eloquent prose and insightful perspectives. His passion for language and dedication to crafting compelling content make him a trusted voice in the online sphere. Explore the world through Ahmad's literary lens.

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