Hunting Giraffe in South Africa

IDENTIFICATION: The tallest mammal in the world, unmistakable for it very long legs and neck. All Giraffes have a blotchy coat-color pattern, unique to each individual.  Both sexes have horns. The cow’s horns turn inwards and are well tufted

HABITAT: Savannas, especially those with acacias and other thorny trees and bushes. Found in dry types of woodland, from low shrub land to fairly dense woodlands. Avoids dense bush. Independent of water

BREEDING: Giraffe breed all year-round; 1 young (rarely twins) is born after gestation period of 14-15 months.

DIET: A giraffe is a browser, known to graze seasonally in some areas. Not dependent on water; stays for long periods in waterless areas. It feeds during the day and at night.

CHARACTERISTICS: It is a gregarious animal with a keen sense of smell and good hearing and sight. Rests by standing or lying down during the heat of the day with its head held upright. They sleep with the head bending backwards against the body.

A Giraffe is capable of moving at speeds of up to 50 km/hr. The giraffe is preyed upon by lion despite the fact that it is capable of delivering a fearful kick which could kill a lion. In spite of being extremely tall, there are only seven vertebrae in a giraffe’s neck. It is a silent animal, occasionally uttering grunts and moans. It is a very tough animal to hunt unless an opportunity of a clean brain shot presents itself. The heart/lung shot is much higher up on the shoulder than expected. When hunting a Giraffe you should always consider the angle of the shot due to the height of the Giraffe