Reticulated giraffes are sexually dimorphic (with two distinct gender forms); males are taller and have a slightly different facial appearance. The males have protruding median ossicones (the hornlike knobs on their head) and can develop calcium deposits that form bumps on their skull as they age. The ground color for giraffes is white to buff. Spots are chestnut brown to almost black and vary in size and shape. They are unique to each individual. Spot patterns cover most of their body, but giraffes' underparts are lighter and more faintly spotted. The ground color appears as a network of lines between the spots from which they get their name: reticulated. The coat pattern not only serves as camouflage but also serves as "thermal windows": sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat glands. Their skin secretes up to 11 chemicals that produce a strong and unique scent that repels parasites and is suspected to have a sexual function. Giraffes have a very long neck, necessitating elastic blood vessels and valves to compensate for the sudden increase in blood pressure when the head is lowered. They have a long, gray prehensile (capable of grasping) tongue and flexible upper lips. Both sexes have a pair of short frontal ossicones. These are horns but made of ossified calcium and covered skin and hair. They are unique to giraffes and okapi. The nostrils have muscular openings, which giraffes can open and close to protect themselves against sandstorms and ants that inhabit trees they feed on. They have long eyelashes, and their forelimbs are slightly longer than the hindlimbs.
 

Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) SAFE Giraffe Program 

Giraffe are listed as endangered to critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Brookfield Zoo Chicago participates in the AZA SAFE Giraffe Program to help identify survival threats, support recovery, and offer you opportunities to learn more about at-risk species. 

Amidst heavy conflict and pressure on the environment from human population (alongside overhunting), giraffe populations have fluctuated – but primarily dropped – in the last several decades, with recent counts estimating 117,000 individuals. The species is now declared locally extinct in seven African countries.  
 

Threats 

• • Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation  

• • Poaching  

• • Civil unrest  

• • Disease  

• • Climate change such as drought, increased air temperature and fires, and changes in vegetation and landscape 
   

How We Care 

• • Brookfield Zoo Chicago cares for six giraffes (two male, four female). 

• • Over its long history, the Zoo has been involved in giraffe conservation, working with reticulated giraffes since the Zoo’s opening in 1934, with full participation in the AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP).  

• • The Zoo has contributed to the development of giraffe husbandry with a focus on reproduction and calf development. 

• • The Zoo hosted the first International Giraffid conference in 2016 and will continue to participate in this conference! 

• • The Zoo partners with the Reticulated Giraffe Project.