Giraffes have endemic distribution in Africa.Historical distribution of Giraffe Widespread in North and West Africa, including the Sahara, until the Neolithic. Rock drawings, petroglyphs and skeletons confirm their presence on the banks of the Nile and the plateau of Messak until 4000 BC and later in Western Sahara and Mauritania.

Giraffe habitat is generally associated with the Acacia, Commiphora and Combretum savannahs. Appearing marginally in miombo Brachystegia woodland, while an isolated population (G. c. thornicrofti) occurs in the Luangwa Valley (where Acacia and Combretum are widespread), and in the Isoberlina woodland in Cameroon. Giraffes are absent from true deserts and rainforests;

Some of the theories why giraffes have long necks are protection from predation, increased vigilance and strength, increased surface area for thermoregulatory heat loss, males sexual dominance, and access to food. At giraffe height evolved in response to benefits conferred by foraging, height stratification was only true for the adult.

In the past Europeans knew about deers, sheep, goats, and cattle in their breeding campaigns and as ibex and chamois in the mountains. Deer have been found in Eurasia, while Bovidae has been concentrated in Africa. The giraffe – Giraffa camelopardalis belonged to Giraffids, and in 1901 a second one the Okapi – Okapia johnstoni was discovered in Africa. The giraffe and okapi are big ruminants with long necks and legs.

The giraffe’s tongue is long and mobile, up to 45 cm , allowing the Giraffe to precisely select food items. Although Giraffes drink when water is available, they can survive for a long time without water. In the north of the Namib Desert, observed Giraffes drinking twice during the course of six years of observation, and only ten times during a five-year study period.

The giraffe (scientific name – Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African animal and the largest of all terrestrial animal species. Giraffes live in arid regions ranging from open and wooded forests to semi-desert areas. They live in open grasslands or woodlands but their preference is a habitat rich in thorny acacia trees.

The tallest of all animals, the giraffe is characterized by its very elongated neck and long limbs. Males, which are taller, range between about 4 and 5 m in height, with records of individuals up to 5.9 m. The shoulders appear higher than the rump, a feature accentuated by the long spines of the thoracic vertebra. Neck fringed with a short, thick mane. Ears narrow and pointed, eyes large.