What Do Giraffes Eat?

In the Giraffe World, Thorny Acacias are a Delicacy!

So what do giraffes eat? Well, because giraffes are herbivores, the animal equivalent of vegetarians, they eat only vegetation and no meat.

Favorite Giraffe Food

While giraffes eat grass, fruit and tree leaves and twigs, the favorite giraffe food is the thorny acacia tree.

In many of the Kenya national parks, giraffes can be seen browsing on the abundant yellow-fever acacia trees that have a distinctly yellow bark.

When you feed giraffes at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi though, you give them grain pellets.

How Much do Giraffes Eat?

Because giraffes are big animals - males weigh up 1,930 kg (4,300 lbs) and females 1,180kg (1600 lbs) - it is often assumed that they eat a lot of food.

However, they eat 29kg (65 lbs) to 34kg (75 lbs) a day although they can survive on as little as 6.8 kg (15 lbs) a day...

They eat much less than other herbivores such as elephants and zebras because the acacia, their favorite food is packed with concentrated nutrition.

And, the succulent leaves that only these tall mammals can reach are that much more nutritious. In addition, they have an efficient digestive system that squeezes every ounce of nutrient out of the food consumed.

Giraffe Bodies Support a Herbivorous Lifestyle

The giraffes' anatomy is well-suited for a vegetarian diet.

Naturally Insomniac?

Because each mouthful only contains a few leaves, they spend 15 to 20 hours each day foraging for food and consuming it. Fortunately, giraffes can make do with very little sleep and a total of 20 minutes to 2 hours sleep each day is sufficient.

Neck and Legs

Giraffes are very tall and can grow to a height of 18 to 20ft. In fact, thanks in part to their very long necks which measure 1.8 meters (6ft) and legs which are also about 1.8 meters (6ft) long, giraffes are the tallest animals in the world.

They use their long necks to reach the succulent twigs and leaves on top of trees that other animals cannot reach.

Antiseptic Tongue

A giraffe has an 18 in (45cm) tongue. It uses this long tongue to grasp leaves and twigs. The tongue is also tough enough to handle thorny twigs such as those from the acacia.

The giraffe's saliva is antiseptic, helping the thorn-induced wounds to heal. The tongue is purplish-black, which prevents it from getting sunburned while feeding.

Stomach

Like other ruminants which "chew the curd" or regurgitate their food, giraffes have 4-chamber stomachs. A giraffe has a mesmerizing way of eating - a swallowed ball of food will return to the mouth several times for more crushing before being re-swallowed.

What do Giraffes Eat? - Water

Although giraffes can drink up to 38 liters (10 gallons) of water a day, they can go for long periods without water...

This is because the succulent food they eat contains a high water content which helps to keep them hydrated.

In order to drink, they have to spread out their front legs in order to bend low enough to reach the water. They are most vulnerable to predator attacks from African lions, leopards and crocodiles while in this position.

So the giraffe food chain consists of vegetation at the bottom, giraffes in the middle and lions and other predators at the top.

Where to See Giraffes Eating in Kenya

With a population of about 45,000 giraffes which is about one-third of the world's, Kenya is home to the largest population of giraffes. It is therefore your best place to see giraffes munching away.

In Kenya, your best bet for seeing giraffes eating in the wild is Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Samburu National Reserve and, Nairobi National Park which is located on the outskirts of the capital of Kenya.

If you want to see and feel giraffes eating out of your hand though, you'd have to visit the peerless Giraffe Center in the Karen suburb of the capital, Nairobi.

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