Giraffes are the tallest living land mammals on Earth, reaching heights up to 19 feet and native to the savannas and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa.
While I have seen many in East Africa, this one is looking at you at the North Carolina Zoo.
Giraffe
Acacia Station at the North Carolina Zoo is a giraffe viewing deck where you can see giraffes eye-to-eye and take portrait shots. It is exciting to feed lettuce to giraffes with a long tongue.
Giraffe Looking at You
A giraffe looks over the fence at the North Carolina Zoo to see if any food is on the other side.
Giraffe Looking Over the Fence
A giraffe is shooing another away to eat food alone at the North Carolina Zoo. A zebra in the background is eating grass.
Shooing another Giraffe Away
Food for Me
The North Carolina Zoo has high feeding stations to accommodate giraffes’ height. The giraffes eat alfalfa hay and Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) pellets twice a day, but they can usually eat as much as they want.
Giraffe Reaching High for Food
Giraffes can be so tall that they can peer into a second-story window. Here is one at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro.
Giraffe Standing Tall
The Forest Edge habitat at the North Carolina Zoo has giraffes and zebras. Guests can see the animals at four different viewing areas. The habitat is 3.5 acres and mimics the lightly wooded savannas found in Kenya.Here are portraits of giraffes from the Giraffe Deck, where you get eye-to-eye with these long-legged giants and even feed them.
Giraffe Portrait
Giraffe Looking Away
Side View of Giraffe
Almost realistic, this giraffe lantern is quite impressive ….
Chinese Lantern Festival – A Tall Giraffe
Nearly life-size, these giraffe Chinese lanterns are amazing …
Chinese Lantern Festival – A Trio of Giraffe
Rose Parade – Giraffe
Originally the Rose Parade featured flower-decorated horse carriages. Over time, floats built by volunteers from sponsoring communities supplanted the carriages. Currently most are built by professional float building companies and take nearly a year to construct.
Giraffe Closeup
A giraffe nibbles leaves in Tanzania
Giraffe Symmetry
The two giraffes in Kenya are finally in sync for this photograph (as opposed to my previous post A Pair of Giraffe)
A male and female giraffe obviously not in sync for this portrait in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya