Giraffa Camelopardalis Rothschildi
The Five-horned Giraffe

Giraffes exist of more than one kind. Rothschild's giraffes differ from other giraffes in that they are taller and have paler coats, and their patches are less jagged than that of the Masai giraffe, but more when compared to the Reticulated. Rotschild's giraffes also have white, unpatterned legs beneath their knees. Their main distinguishing feature, however, is that they have five horn-like structures on the top of their head. Other giraffes only have three. Rothschild's giraffe is named after zoologist and passionate animal collector Lord Walter Rothschild. It is also called Baringo giraffe after the Baringo region in Kenya. The Rothschild's giraffe is the rarest species of giraffe in the world; only 40 of them are believed to live in the wild.

The giraffes live together in small herds of 6 to twelve animals - the males in one herd, the females and their young in another. There is no particular mating season, and calves are born with all five horns. The calves are hunted by lions, hyaenas and leopards, while humans are the greatest enemy of the adults.

Exterminated from much of their former habitat, they can now be seen in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. Like giraffes in general they prefer staying in wooden plains or thickets. They feed on thorny acacia trees and other plants they can get at with their long necks and tongues. Nature's own gardeners, the males feed off the top branches and the females from the lower, giving the trees a distinct shape.

Vital statistics
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
Height: up to 5.50 metres
Weight: up to 1200 kilos
Longevity: 20-30 years
Vocalization: Bleat or roar