Pretty quick! Giraffes are herbivorous animals found in the plains of Africa. For a map showing the current and historic range of the cheetah, click on this link. Many wild giraffes populate Kenya and Tanzania. Today, giraffes are found in Niger, Chad, Sudan, Cameroon, C entral African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa. Characterized by its long legs, long neck, and distinctive spotted pattern, many people first believed the giraffe was a cross between a leopard and a camel, which is reflected in its scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis. Koalas, for example, eat only the leaves of certain eucalyptus trees, so they must live in Australia, where these trees grow. New maps show where giraffes live — mostly outside protected areas . They live in savannas, grassland or open woodland. Learn where giraffes live, what they eat, how tall they grow and more here at National Geographic Kids. Visit our Adopt-a-Giraffe Programme page to get started. It lives in the Niger River basin and the highlands near the rural community Kouré, located 60 km east of Niamey, the capital of Niger. At an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.), the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world. Giraffes form into herds of 50 or fewer individuals of the same subspecies. Males can feed on foliage higher up than females due to their greater heights. The great Savannah plains of Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are home to these animals. Where in the world do cheetahs live? As we pointed out above, giraffes live in Sub-Saharan Africa from Niger to Zimbabwe and Botswana. Cheetahs live in parts of Africa and Asia. - Jamie Rappaport Clark, President & CEO Defenders of Wildlife Rest assured that we are on top of it and committed to continuing to protect wildlife and their habitats no matter what challenges we face. In Africa these areas are called savannas. Ten facts about giraffes for kids. Do giraffes make noises? Adoption Updates. How fast does a giraffe grow? They can whistle (honest), hiss and moo. In fact, African vegetation is the only kind of food that wild giraffes will ever taste; these beauties are endemic to the large, warm continent. GCF August 8, 2019. Conservationists release new giraffe distribution map An international group of conservation scientists led by San Diego Zoo Global, GCF, Senckenberg Biodiversity & Climate Research Centre and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have published a groundbreaking new scientific paper with a series of updated maps detailing current ranges of giraffe throughout Africa. A group of giraffes is aptly called a tower, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Giraffes drink water when it is available, but they don’t need to drink water on a daily basis, which allows them to survive in areas with scarce water. Female giraffes are smaller and lighter than males, and weigh between 1,600 and 2,600 pounds and grow to be about 16 feet tall. Thank you and stay healthy. Ten facts about giraffes for kids. Animals live only where they can survive. ... And boy do these guys have an appetite! The ecosystem in which giraffes can be found is the savanna. If we go to South Sudan or southwest of Ethiopia, we can find the Nubian Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis). This post will answer that question, and also tell you a few facts about giraffes. Conservationists release new giraffe distribution map An international group of conservation scientists led by San Diego Zoo Global, GCF, Senckenberg Biodiversity & Climate Research Centre and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have published a groundbreaking new scientific paper with a series of updated maps detailing current ranges of giraffe throughout Africa.