Giraffe Encounter
Get up close and feed a Giraffe at Taronga Zoo Sydney while overlooking Sydney Harbour in this unforgettable wildlife experience.
Giraffe
Scientific nameGiraffa camelopardalis
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable
The giraffe is the tallest of all animals! With its long neck, blue tongue and dark eyelashes, it’s equipped for eating from the trees and withstanding the heat.
Sydney
Visitor Tips for Dubbo
Visitor tips for Sydney
Giraffes can be viewed in the African Savannah habitat.
Giraffe Encounter
11:00am
Keeper Talk
1:20pm
Fun facts about Giraffes
28 years
Giraffes can live between 20-28 years in Zoo care and females have a gestation period of 13–15 months.
Herbivores
Giraffes eat shoots and leaves, mainly from acacia trees.
1900 kg
is the maximum weight a Giraffe can reach, with females typically weighing about 1000 kg.
Savannahs, grasslands and woodlands
are a Giraffes' habitat, where they find food and protection.
6m
Giraffes can grow up to 6m tall. Females are generally around 5m tall.
East and Southern Africa
are home to Giraffes.
28 years
Giraffes can live between 20-28 years in Zoo care and females have a gestation period of 13–15 months.
Herbivores
Giraffes eat shoots and leaves, mainly from acacia trees.
1900 kg
is the maximum weight a Giraffe can reach, with females typically weighing about 1000 kg.
Savannahs, grasslands and woodlands
are a Giraffes' habitat, where they find food and protection.
6m
Giraffes can grow up to 6m tall. Females are generally around 5m tall.
East and Southern Africa
are home to Giraffes.
Did you know?
We bet you didn't know these facts about gigantic giraffes.
Scroll across and tap the icons to reveal info on Giraffes.
Standing snooze
Giraffes sleep while standing up.
Long but powerful
Giraffes have enough strength in one kick to kill a lion.
What are those?
The two ‘horns’ on the top of a giraffes head are actually called ‘ossicones’.
One long neck
Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae as humans (7) but their bones are much longer than ours.
Life in a herd
Giraffes are social animals. A group of giraffes is called a ‘herd’.
Blue tongue
Giraffe’s tongues are dark blue to act as a natural sun screen.
Standing start
A Giraffe calf is born with the mother standing, and the calf can walk within an hour of being born.
Eyes on the horizon
Giraffes have great eyesight and can see clearly up to 2km away.
Meet Msumeno, a hand-raised calf in Dubbo
Species management programs
Taronga contributes to an Australasian Species Management Program and/or international breeding program for this species. This helps maintain healthy and resilient zoo-based animal populations by preserving genetic diversity, supporting animal husbandry knowledge, and ensuring exceptional animal welfare, safeguarding the species for the future.
Glorious Giraffes
Despite its great length, the structure of a giraffe’s neck is very similar to that of other mammals. They have the same number of vertebrae as humans (7), only their neck bones are elongated and much larger than ours.
The hooves of a giraffe can be the same diameter as an adult human head. They can kick in most directions to defend themselves and their young. Giraffes have enough strength in one kick to kill a lion.
Giraffe have a tongue which can measure up to 45cm long. This is used to pick off the leaves, shoots and buds of many African trees that have long, sharp thorns. Giraffe spend most of their day grazing. The tongue’s blue colouration acts like sunscreen, which is highly necessary.
To drink water a giraffe must splay its front legs and bend at the knees. When their head is down a valve helps to regulate blood flow in order to prevent brain damage (and head spins!). Due to the length of their neck, a great deal of pressure is needed for blood to reach the brain (double the blood pressure of other large mammals).
With the largest eyes of any land mammal giraffe have great eyesight and can see clearly up to 2km away. They perceive colour.
Fact sheets for kids
Discover educational resources for kindergarten to year 6.
Conservation partners
Buy beads, save wildlife
You can help African animals by purchasing beads! But how can beads help animals like giraffe and lions? Find out with Beads for Wildlife.
More to explore
African Savannah
Explore African Savannah at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo and see giraffes, zebras, eland and White Rhinos roaming across one of the Zoo’s largest habitats.
Adopt an animal
Adopt an animal with Taronga and support wildlife care, enrichment and conservation programs that help protect species in our Zoos and in the wild.
