ANGOLAN GIRAFFE

NAME OF ANIMAL	FAMILY	DESCRIPTION
ANGOLAN GIRAFFE	GIRAFFEDAE	THE ANGOLAN GIRAFFE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE NAMIBIAN GIRAFFE OR SMOKEY GIRAFFE, IS A SPECIES OR SUBSPECIES OF GIRAFFE THAT IS FOUND IN NORTHERN NAMIBIA, SOUTH-WESTERN ZAMBIA, BOTSWANA, WESTERN ZIMBABWE AND SINCE MID-2023 AGAIN IN THEY HAVE LARGE BROWN BLOTCHES WITH EDGES THAT ARE EITHER SOMEWHAT NOTCHED OR HAVE ANGULAR EXTENSIONS. THE SPOTTING PATTERN EXTENDS THROUGHOUT THE LEGS BUT NOT THE UPPER PART OF THE FACE. THE NECK AND RUMP PATCHES TEND TO BE FAIRLY SMALL. THEY ALSO HAVE A WHITE EAR PATCH.

MEASUREMENT	MALES	FEMALES
HEAD TO BODY LENGTH	6 METER	6 METER
HORN LENGTH	MALE’S ARE THICK AND BALD ON TOP, THEIR HORNS CAN BE UP TO 5 INCHES LONG.	FEMALE’S HORNS ARE THIN AND TUFTED
SHOULDER HEIGHT	5-6 M	5-6 M
TAIL LENGTH	76 -101 CM	76 -101 CM
WEIGHT	1,930 KG (4,250 POUNDS)	1,180 kg (2,600 pounds).

CHARACTERISTICS	DESCRIPTIONET
RANGE	ANGOLA, BOTSWANA, NAMBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA
HABITAT	THEY LIVE IN TROPICAL DRYFOREST, AND TROPICAL SAVANNA WITH SPARSE WOODY VEGETATION AND SHRUBS.
PRIMARY DIET	HERBIVORE
DIET	.THEY MAINLY EAT THE EATS OF COMMIPHORA FLOWER PLANTS. DURING THE COLD-DRY AND EARLY HOT-DRY SEASON ANGOLAN GIRAFFES USUALLY FORAGE IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS.
CONSERVATION STATUS	THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT THE POPULATION DECLINE OF ANGOLAN GIRAFFES HAS SLOWED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST DECADE, HOWEVER THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK NEEDED TO ENSURE ITS LONG-TERM SUCCESS.
REASON FOR THE STATUS	THE MAIN THREAT TO ANGOLAN GIRAFFES IS THE LOSS OF THEIR NATIVE HABITAT DUE TO THE EXPANSION OF CULTIVATED AREAS, CUTTING OF TREES FOR FIREWOOD AND CONSTRUCTION, AND NATURAL OR MAN-MADE BUSHFIRES. ANGOLAN GIRAFFES ALSO SUFFER FROM ILLEGAL HUNTING AND POACHING; THESE ANIMALS ATTRACT HUNTERS FOR THEIR MEAT, SKIN, AND TAIL.

CHARACTERISTICS	DESCRIPTION
GESTATION PERIOD	13-15 MONTHS
YOUNG PER BIRTH	N/A
WEANING	12-16 MONTHS OF AGE
SEXUAL MATURITY	3-4 YEARS FOR FEMALES / 4-5 YEARS FOR MALES
BEHAVIOR	THEY ARE POLYGYNOUS, WHICH MEANS THAT MALES MATE WITH MULTIPLE FEMALES. USUALLY, MALES ENGAGE IN COMBATS, AFTER WHICH THE WINNER GETS RIGHT TO MATE WITH RECEPTIVE FEMALES WHENEVER AND WHEREVER IT FINDS THEM.
MAIN PREADATOR	LIONS ARE THE MAIN PREDATORS OF THE GIRAFFE. LEOPARDS AND HYENAS ARE ALSO KNOWN TO PREY ON GIRAFFES
LIFESPAN IN THE WILD	10 -15 YEARS
LIFESPAN IN CAPTIVITY	20-25 YEARS
LIFESTYLE	THEY BROWSE DURING THE FIRST AND LAST HOURS OF THE DAYTIME. BETWEEN THESE HOURS, GIRAFFES MOSTLY STAND AND RUMINATE. RUMINATION IS THE DOMINANT ACTIVITY DURING THE NIGHT WHEN IT IS MOSTLY DONE LYING DOWN.