Angolan Giraffe

This subspecies of giraffe is widespread on the southern border between Angola and Zambia, as well as in Botswana and much of northern and northeastern Namibia.

It differs from the other giraffe subspecies in its size and by the pattern of its spots, which tend to discolor into yellowish edges. It has 2 to 4 distinctive horns, called bony cones, which are more developed in males than in females. It has long tongues, narrow snouts and flexible upper lips to help obtain leaves from tall trees that they use for browsing.

It is a social species that lives in open, unstable herds ranging from 10 to 20 individuals. The female breeds every 20 to 30 months, the gestation period is about 457 days and she gives birth standing up to a calf that falls from 2m to the ground. After three to four weeks from birth, the mother giraffe leads her calf to nursery groups where she takes turns with other mothers to care for all the calves while the rest move farther away to drink and eat.

The giraffe's main threat is habitat destruction and hunting.

The Selwo Aventura group is part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP) of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

The group is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).