Kruger Park - Giraffe

I finally reached the end of S28 and turned right onto a tar road adjacent to Sabie River. Shortly after, on the right, were two elephants facing each other. I couldn’t tell what they were doing as their heads were tucked behind a bush. Perhaps they were eating the leaves, but they sure looked like they were having a secret meeting.

Travelling beside the river, I passed Lower Sabie Rest Camp, one of the major camps in southern Kruger. The nearby Sunset Dam is highly frequented by a variety of wildlife and birds, making it a favourite place for watching the sunset before retiring for the night to the camp.

About 7mi (11km) past the dam, just off the road to the left were three giraffes, standing still observing the traffic. These tall and lanky animals with two horns called ossicones, are the tallest animals on land and just like the zebra, their spots are unique to each one of them. Surprisingly, they are related to the okapi, who are often mistaken for being related to zebras because of their striped hind and legs.

The giraffe has an amazingly long tongue, up to 20in (50cm), and quite flexible as it wraps itself around branches to pull the leaves off. Even more amusing is how adept the tongue is at cleaning its own nostrils. A giraffe has seven neck bones, which is the same number as a human but of course the size of each one is significantly larger. A human neck bone is about half an inch ((1.27cm) vs a giraffe’s at 10in (25.4cm). The long legs and necks make it very difficult for a giraffe to drink as it needs to spread its legs to reach the water. It is at these times that the giraffe becomes most vulnerable to predators.

A giraffe may seem awkward when running, unlike the sleekness of a cheetah but, when necessary, it can pick up speeds of up to 37mph (60km/h) and maintain it for several miles/kilometres.

A giraffe’s superpower though, is its ability to live on only 30min of sleep per day. They take lots of quick 5 minute naps during the day and spend the majority of their time eating (16-20 hours per day) or foraging for food. They are experts at sleeping standing up.

Leaving the giraffes to their ‘browsing‘, I head for Nkuhlu Picnic site.

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