Interesting facts about Rothschild giraffes
Interesting facts about Rothschild giraffes : The Rothschild giraffe is a subspecies of the Northern giraffe which is a three horned giraffe that is native to the Northern part of Africa. According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the Rothschild giraffe is considered as an endangered species.
The Rothschild giraffe is named after Walter Rothschild who was a famous zoologist and the founder of the Tring Museum. One of the interesting facts about the Rothschild giraffe is that it is most found in East Africa, particularly in Kenya and Uganda. In Kenya, the Rothschild giraffe is also known as the Baringo giraffe, named after Lake Baringo. In Uganda, it is also referred to as the Ugandan giraffe.
Population
When it comes to populations, the Rothschild giraffes exist in few numbers; with approximately 1,669 individuals estimated to be living in the wild according to the 2016 census. Their limited numbers is majorly one of the reasons why the subspecies is considered to be endangered.
Height and weight
A male Rothschild giraffe can grow to a height of 6 meters tall (20 feet) and weigh up to 3,600 pounds, a female giraffe can grow to a height of 4.5 meters tall and weigh up to 2,600pounds and produce giraffe which weights around 150pounds and 5 feet tall.
Diet
Giraffes are herbivores which feed on vegetation. They use their long neck and tongue which is about 45 centimeters to feed on shrubs like leaves, young shoots, stems, fruits, tree barks and forage from one tree to another. Giraffes sleep for as little as 30 minutes to about 4 hours and they sleep while standing which means that they spend about 16 to 30 hours feeding in the park. Due to its size an adult giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of food each day. The giraffes hardly drink water but instead they receive their water through the leaves which they feed on such as acacia trees.
Habitat
Giraffes live in savannah grassland and woodland vegetation which are comprised of scattered tall trees and open forests where they will be able to feed and run around. They are one of the fastest animals in that they can run reaching to a speed of 56kilometres per hour and due to their height and long neck, they cannot live in dense forests because dense forests make their movement and feeding difficult. They live in groups of 10 to20 individuals and sometimes form groups with about 50 individuals, the groups are made up of males, females and the young ones. When the male giraffes mature, they leave the group and live a solitary life. They are gregarious, have excellent eyesight and do not lie down while sleeping, due to this behavior it prevents them against the predators like lions. Giraffes live up to 26 years in the wild and sometimes longer when in captivity.
Behavior
Male giraffes are not sociable as the females therefore they establish dominance among the herds by fighting. When eating the males forage food at a higher elevation than the females who forage food at their body height.
Characteristics of the Rothschild giraffe
Rothschild giraffes are different from other giraffes in terms of the coat color which consists of dark orange and brown patches with beige and creamy white through them. Rothschild giraffes have white socks on the legs which continue up to the knees and three horns for the males and two horns for the females where two of them are in the same place and the third horn in the center of their forehead. A giraffe moves both right legs simultaneously followed by both left legs and the neck which contains seven vertebrae also the same as that of humans. The new born baby of a giraffe stands at about 2meters tall (6 feet).
How to differentiate a male and female giraffe
A male Rothschild giraffe is bigger in size than the female giraffe
Rothschild giraffes have five horns called Ossicones and those for the males are on top while those of the females have hair on them
Males have three Ossicones and develop calcium deposits which form bumps on their skulls as the age which makes it look like additional horns while females have 2 Ossicones with thinner and far upon them. These calcium deposits protect the heads of male giraffes during a fight.
Males grow up to 20 feet tall with a weight of about 3,600 pounds while the females grow up to 16 feet tall with a weight of up to 2,600 pounds.
Male giraffes grow darker in color at an old age while the females maintain their color.
Where you can find Rothschild Giraffes.
Rothschild giraffes are mainly found in national parks in Uganda and Kenya such as; Lake Nakuru national park, Murchison falls national park in Uganda, Lake Mburo national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Masai Mara national park, and Nairobi national park in Kenya among others. Rothschild giraffes can also be found in Akagera national park in Rwanda; although they exist in fewer numbers compared to those in Uganda and Kenya.
However, there are some breeding projects that are in place in order to increase the number of Rothschild giraffes in the wild. Some of these places include; the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in Uganda.
Conclusion: Visitors eager to see Rothschild giraffes can do so during a wildlife viewing safari in Uganda, Kenya or Rwanda. Aside from seeing giraffes, visitors will also have the opportunity to view other wildlife animals such as Cape Buffaloes, zebras, hyenas, lions, wildebeests, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, primates like Olive baboons, vervet monkeys and so many more.
