Video: Four Crazy Things Giraffe Eat
12Nov
(9 comments)
One of the most iconic and favourite animals seen on a safari has to be the giraffe. With their long legs and even longer necks they look like something out of the Jurassic Period. Although giraffes are herbivores and mostly feed on vegetation such as leaves, grass, twigs, fruit and roots; they also eat some crazy things! Here are our list of the top four crazy items that you may see giraffes eating while on safari at Kariega.
Top 4 Crazy Things That Giraffe Eat
- Acacia Trees with Big Thorns: Giraffes favour eating the leaves and twigs of Acacia trees. This tree is armed with big, white, sharp thorns to protect its juicy leaves from attackers. Giraffe are not deterred by these thorns and they use their long manoeuvrable tongues and tough lips to get around them.
- Chewing on Old Bones: Giraffe also chew on old bones. This behaviour is called osteophagy. Giraffes and other antelopes chew bones when they needs more phosphates and calcium in their diet, especially if they are pregnant.
- Prickly Pears: This plant is full of sharp spines of various sizes which makes it very difficult for most animals to eat it. Giraffes will feed on these plants during winter when they need some extra nutrients. The fruit of a prickly pear are eaten by monkeys, baboons, some antelope and even humans.
- Poisonous Euphorbia Trees: This plant has a poisonous milky latex that can result in death if ingested in large quantities. Giraffes feed on this plant in small quantities during winter. The poison enters their blood system and kills off any internal and external parasites the giraffes might have. Crazy but smart!
Did you see giraffes eating any of these four crazy things on your safari at Kariega Game Reserve? Let us know in the comment section. You are also welcome to post comments and photos on our social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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