Giraffes in Serengeti National Park

Giraffes in Serengeti National Park are very common in the park which is gifted by nature in the whole of Tanzania and are an amazing attraction. Serengeti National park is located in the northern part of Tanzania. This national park is home to a variety of wildlife species which can be seen grazing and roaming in the open plains of Serengeti national park and among them is the giraffes.

Giraffes are known for their strikingly tall appearance which stands out from their surroundings in the national park. They can also be described by the patches on their skin which varies among the adult and young giraffes.

Giraffes have a special adaptation of their long legs which helps them to do a number of things such as running fast over short and long distances.

Another characteristic of giraffes is their long necks. Their necks help these creatures to stretch and reach out to their tongues during feeding to eat the acacia leaves. Despite the thorns which these trees have, giraffes eat their leaves. They also feed on shrubs, food, and grass.

Giraffes are also known to always be standing up and this also includes when they sleep as well as during giving birth to their young ones in the national park. The young ones of the giraffes are protected by the female ones from their enemies by standing over the calves.

Predators in Serengeti national park which are known to attack the giraffes include lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, African wild dogs.

Giraffes in Serengeti national park are also said to have unique patterns that vary from one to another and no two giraffes have the same patterns.

Another characteristic of giraffes which can be seen in the open plains of Serengeti national park is that the females and males have distinct horns that are covered in hair that are known as ossicones which the males use to sometimes fight against other males.

The sound which is made by giraffes in Serengeti national park is described as a bellow, snort, hiss as well as a sound which sounds like that of a flute.

There are different species of giraffes that can be seen in different national parks and they include the Maasai giraffe, the reticulated giraffe, the southern giraffe, and the northern giraffes. The Maasai giraffe is different from other giraffes in a way that its patches are darker, smaller and separated by light brown lines.

Another adaptation of giraffes is their tongues which they use to do a number of things among which is grabbing and hooking leaves from trees as they feed. Their tongues are black in color. The social life of giraffes has no leaders and the groups are unorganized in a specific hierarchy.

During mating season, male giraffes fight for dominance by butting their necks or heads together and these fights do not result in serious injury as seen in other wildlife species during fights for dominance.

The gestation period for giraffes is about 15 months and their young ones are given birth to when the mother is standing and after birth, the young ones also take a short time before also being able to stand on their own.

They are also known to survive long without water since the acacia leaves their fees on containing water which is another adaptation these wildlife species possess.

A notable characteristic of giraffes in Serengeti national park is their speed. They are also known for their powerful kick which can kill their enemies such as lions and crocodiles especially at waterpoints in the national park.

The hooves of giraffes which can be seen in Serengeti national park are even and is similar among other wildlife species such as hippos, deer, antelopes as well as domestic animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle.

Giraffes have also contributed to their ecosystem by acting as pollinators since they feed on treetops and this aids in transferring the pollen from flowers of one tree to another. They are considered among the biggest pollinators due to their height.

Due to the long legs that these wildlife species possess, giraffes have to adjust their legs as they drink from the different water points around the national park and they do this by spreading their front legs in order to drink water.

Another fun fact about giraffes is that they not only feed on leaves and plants, they sometimes chew bones from the remains of dead animals killed in the national park which in a way provide calcium that makes their bones stronger and sustains their long legs.

Giraffes are known to walk in a unique way whereby they swing both legs at the same time as they walk which is unique compared to other wildlife species with four legs.

How to get to Serengeti national park

Serengeti national park can be accessed by both road and air means.

By road, tourists can access the national park by driving from Arusha.

By air or flight, there are both charter and domestic flights available for tourists to the different airstrips around the national park such as Seronera airstrip, Kogatende airstrip, Serengeti Kusini airstrip, kirawira airstrip, Lobo airstrip among others.

Other wildlife species which can be seen in Serengeti national park include wildebeests, zebras, elephants, waterbucks, kudu, lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos among others. Bird species which include both native and migratory birds can also be seen in this national park.

Best time for wildlife viewing in Serengeti national park is during the months of July to October which is the dry season. During this time of the year, many tourists visit this national park. However, this national park can be visited throughout the year for amazing wildlife viewing experiences.

Game viewing activities in Serengeti national park where giraffes can be seen during safaris to this national park include the following;

Game drives in Serengeti national park take place at different times of day as tourists explore the open plains of the national park in search of the wildlife species in their natural habitat. Game drives in this national park include morning game drives, evening game drives and full day game drives. During morning game drives, tourists can see a variety of wildlife species since they are more active at this time of day. Full day game drives enable tourists to observe the wildlife species within the national park at different times of day as they graze and roam in the open plains of the national park. These game drives take place in the different sections of the national park which include the northern section, the western section, the central or Seronera area, and the southern section.
Nature walks in Serengeti national park involve exploring the plains of the national park on foot as tourists search for the wildlife species in their natural habitat. These nature walks provide a unique experience of wildlife viewing since the wildlife species can be seen from a close but safe distance. Tourists are accompanied by armed rangers and guides for security purposes and for an amazing wildlife viewing experience.
Hot air balloon experiences involve exploring Serengeti national park from an aerial view where the different attractions such as the wildlife species can be seen such as herds of elephants, wildebeests, hartebeests, zebras, hippos, hyenas, giraffes, leopards among others.

Visit Serengeti national park and experience the gentle and tall giraffes as they roam around the open savannah plains of the national park.