Giraffe

The majestic giraffe is the world’s tallest animal. There may be 6 species of giraffe in the world today. The Rothschild species makes its home at African Lion Safari.

The Rothschild giraffe is often described as the “five-horned” giraffe due to the fact that it has five blunt, short horn-like structures on its head. This gentle and serene herbivore often serves as a watchtower against predators for zebra, ostrich and the antelope with which it shares grazing areas south of the Sahara desert to the Cape. Unfortunately, giraffe have been eliminated from large tracts of their natural habitat. Man is the most dangerous enemy but lions, leopards and snakes also have an impact on giraffe populations.

There are fewer than 670 Rothschild giraffe remaining in the wild today. In August 2010, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) declared the Rothschild giraffe as “Endangered”.

In 1973, African Lion Safari became home to 3 Rothschild giraffe which was a first in Ontario. On June 2, 1977 the park announced the birth of Ontario’s first baby giraffe. Today African Lion Safari maintains the largest herd of Rothschild giraffe in Canada; the park is home to a herd of 14 members. Since 1977, African Lion Safari has had over 25 giraffe born at the park.

It is African Lion Safari’s hope that with these new additions, its successful breeding programme for this endangered species will continue to provide healthy specimens for future generations.

In October, 2007, African Lion Safari was recognized by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) with the “Outstanding Achievement Award” for its work in Giraffe Management and Reproductive Research.