Interesting Facts about Rothschild Giraffes

Interesting Facts about Rothschild giraffes: A three-horned giraffe native to northern Africa, the Rothschild giraffe is a subspecies of the Northern giraffe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, lists the Rothschild giraffe as an endangered species.

Walter Rothschild, a renowned naturalist and the creator of the Tring Museum, is honored by the name of the Rothschild giraffe. The Rothschild giraffe is primarily found in East Africa, specifically in Kenya and Uganda, which is one of its fascinating features. Because of Lake Baringo, the Rothschild giraffe is often referred to as the Baringo giraffe in Kenya. It is also known as the Ugandan giraffe in Uganda.

The population

Regarding populations, the Rothschild giraffes are few; the 2016 census projected that there were 1,669 of them remaining in the wild. One of the main causes of the subspecies’ classification as endangered is its small population.

Weight and height

Rothschild giraffes can reach heights of 6 meters (20 feet) and weights of up to 3,600 pounds for males and 4.5 meters and weights of up to 2,600 pounds for females, which can give birth to giraffes that weigh about 150 pounds and are 5 feet tall.

Nutrition

Giraffes consume plants since they are herbivores. They hunt from tree to tree and consume bushes such as leaves, new shoots, branches, fruits, and tree barks using their long neck and 45-centimeter tongue. Giraffes spend between 16 to 30 hours feeding in the park because they sleep standing up for as short as 30 minutes to as long as 4 hours. An adult giraffe can consume up to 75 pounds of food every day due to its size. Instead of drinking much water, giraffes get it from the leaves of plants like acacia trees, which they eat.

Environment

Savannah grasslands and woodland vegetation, which are made up of sporadic tall trees and open woods where they may run and forage, are home to giraffes. Despite being among the fastest animals—they can run up to 56 kilometers per hour—they are unable to survive in deep forests because of their height and long necks, which make it difficult for them to move around and feed. They live in groups of 10 to 20 people, and occasionally they form groups of 50 people. These groups consist of young people, girls, and males. Male giraffes quit the group and have solitary lives after they reach adulthood. Because they are outgoing, have good vision, and avoid lying down to sleep, they are protected from lions and other predators. In the wild, giraffes can live up to 26 years, and in captivity, they can live even longer.

Actions

Because male giraffes are less gregarious than females, they battle to maintain control within their herds. Compared to females, who hunt for food at their body height, males consume at a higher elevation.

The Rothschild giraffe’s attributes

The coat color of Rothschild giraffes is distinct from that of other giraffes; it is composed of regions of dark orange and brown with beige and creamy white throughout. Rothschild giraffes have three horns on the male and two on the female, with two of them in the same spot and the third in the middle of the forehead. They also have white socks on their legs that reach their knees. The giraffe’s neck, which has seven vertebrae, is identical to a human’s, and it moves both of its right legs at once, then its left legs. A giraffe’s newborn is roughly two meters (6 feet) tall.

How to tell a male giraffe from a female

The size of a male Rothschild giraffe is greater than that of a female.

The male Rothschild giraffe’s five horns, known as ossicones, are on top, while the female’s horns are covered in hair.

While females have two Ossicones that are thinner and farther apart, males have three Ossicones and as they age, calcium deposits build bumps on their skulls that give the appearance of extra horns. During a fight, these calcium deposits shield the male giraffe’s head.

Males can reach a height of 20 feet and weigh approximately 3,600 pounds, while females can reach a height of 16 feet and weigh up to 2,600 pounds.

As they age, male giraffes become darker in color, but females stay the same hue.

The Rothschild Giraffe’s location.

Rothschild giraffes are mostly found in national parks in Kenya and Uganda, including Nairobi National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, and Lake Mburo National Park. Although they are less common than those in Uganda and Kenya, Rothschild giraffes can also be found in Rwanda‘s Akagera National Park.

Nonetheless, there are breeding initiatives underway to boost the population of Rothschild giraffes in the wild. These locations include the Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in Uganda and the Giraffe Center in Nairobi.

Conclusion: A wildlife viewing safari in Uganda, Kenya, or Rwanda offers visitors the chance to encounter Rothschild giraffes. In addition to giraffes, visitors can witness Cape Buffaloes, zebras, hyenas, lions, wildebeests, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, primates like Olive Baboons, vervet monkeys, and many other wildlife species.