At Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, we feature the reticulated giraffe, one of the nine subspecies of giraffe that live throughout Africa. Reticulated giraffes are usually found in Somalia but can also be found in neighboring parts of Kenya and Ethiopia. Giraffes in the wild usually live in small to medium sized groups of same sex members. The females usually form larger herds while they watch over the young and males roam in small bachelor groups. It is not unusual for giraffes to move between social groups and female groups will often have one or two males with them.
Giraffes are known for their great height and long necks. Giraffes are the largest land mammals on earth and can reach heights of over 18 feet tall, with their necks reaching sizes of up to 8 feet! They use those long necks to snag leaves, seeds, and fruit from the treetops of Africa which is their main source of food. Fortunately for the giraffe, no other animals match their massive height and they have very little competition for food. Despite having such large necks, Giraffes only have 7 large vertebrae in their neck – this is the same number as most other mammals, including humans!