Happy Giraffe Day!

Happy World Giraffe Day! Giraffes don't get a lot of attention compared to other charismatic animals but they are in big trouble. They are in decline wherever they are found.

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Meet the Maasai giraffe, the tallest animal in the world. And this big bull must have topped 17 feet or more. Wowza!

Here is a closeup of acacia thorns and the animal that finds a way to eat around them. I love when animals cooperate for an artsy photo. It so rarely happens.

A herd of giraffes is called a tower. This group on the Maasai Mara was the largest I have ever seen. How many do you see?

A Rothschild's giraffe has white socks. I found this giraffe in Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park.

 

A Rothschild's giraffe gallops across a meadow overlooking the Nile River. This was one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Reticulated giraffes are the subspecies most often found in zoos in the United States. They have distinct island patterns in their tawny coats.

A giraffe amazes its herd mates by crossing a shallow creek. Giraffes are notoriously skittish, so this feat of derring-do violates a dozen phobias. Are you seeing this? Incredible!

A southern giraffe drinks from a waterhole in Kruger National Park, South Africa. To reach the ground, giraffes must spread their legs in an awkward process that looks like they're unfolding a stepladder.