Nubian giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis
The giraffes have moved
The Chester Zoo herd of giraffes have now moved over to their brand-new home in Heart of Africa. We’re giving them a few months to settle into their new, state-of-the-art habitat, so you’ll be able to visit them again in spring 2025.
About
Giraffes are nature’s gentle giants, growing up to six metres tall!
They spend up to 20 hours a day eating, so the dark pigmentation on their long tongues help prevent sunburn. Their tongues can measure up to 45cm long – great for helping them pull down leaves, shoots, bark and flowers off tree branches to eat.
Giraffe's also have a special valve in their neck that stops the blood rushing to their head when they bend down to drink.
You can tell Nubians apart from other types of giraffe because they have no markings on their lower legs. They’re also the taller than other giraffe species.
Giraffe's necks are long, but they actually contain the same number of bones (vertebra) as humans (seven). Males use their strong neck as weapons to fight over females!
Their large hooves are covered in a thick keratin coating, and they use them to kick chasing predators. A single kick can kill a lion!
Giraffe facts
Threats
There are fewer than 2,000 Nubian giraffes left in the wild. We’re collaborating with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) to help protect them.
We’re monitoring their numbers in Kidepo Valley National Park in Uganda. An annual census has shown giraffe numbers are steadily increasing, with several successful births in the park since 2015.
We’re helping to fund the development of the first National Strategy for Giraffe Conservation in Uganda!
Hunting or collection
