50 Interesting Facts About Giraffes

Last updated on June 10th, 2023

43. A giraffe is one of the rare mammals known to contribute to the pollination of plant life, by moving pollen between plants on their bodies. In addition, to further help the growth of plant life there are some Acacia seeds that can only germinate and begin to grow after they have moved through the digestive track of a giraffe and been passed as pellets.

Necking (Not What You May Think)

44. Bulls have been known to battle for dominance in a battle known as Necking.

45. When two bulls are Necking, they swing their long necks and butt each other in the side or body with their heads. It is not a dangerous fight to the death, and after Necking, bulls often affectionately make up.

Horns

Giraffe in front of Kilimanjaro mountain. Interesting facts about giraffes
Facts about Giraffes. Photo © Volodymyr Byrdyak

46. The horns on a giraffe are called Ossicones. They begin as cartilage that evolves into bone. When a giraffe is born, its ossicones are detached from the skull and they lay flat on the head. They stand up and fuse to the skull as the calf matures.

47. The Ossicones on a bull are heavier and often bald on top, most likely from necking.

48. While not a horn, there is a lump of bone that forms on the forehead between the eyes of a giraffe and continues to grow. Over the years this adds weight to the skull; the skull of a mature bull can weigh as much as thirty pounds. This can be cause for concern when considering necking.

Population at Risk?

49. In general, giraffes are now considered a vulnerable species. The Masai and Reticulated Giraffes are considered endangered and two sub species are considered critically endangered. There are some sub species of giraffe that are already extinct, and the giraffe population in Africa is already thirty percent lower than it was in the 1980s.

50. The biggest threat to giraffes comes from humans in the form of poaching, loss of their territory to developments, and the threats that come from the civil unrest in the area.