Giraffe Stuffed Animal & History

by ell brown

The giraffe has been described as "magnificent in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, and colossal in height." They are rather unusual animals when you think about it and as is the case, it's no surprise to find that giraffe stuffed animals are gaining in popularity simply because they're different.

In Africa, some ancient cultures revered the giraffe so highly that the animal has been found etched on cave paintings and in prehistoric rock. At one time, the giraffe was an unknown animal outside of Africa and because of its unusual looks and shock appeal, it was often sent as a diplomatic gift to other countries. One of the first known recordings of such a thing was in 1415, when a giraffe was presumably sent from Kenya to China.

The giraffes scientific name Giraffe Camelopardalis, is derived from a mistake in which the animal was thought to be a cross between a camel and a leopard. It's the tallest living animal on the planet standing up to 19 feet; its unique 'design' has adapted to be able to reach vegetation that is otherwise inaccessible to other plant eating animals. A giraffe stuffed animal is extremely lifelike in design with a body that is solid and a neck that is usually soft and pliable. While cuddliness may not come to mind when considering the purchase of a giraffe stuffed animal over a plush teddy bear, they do have a certain coziness about them nonetheless. You will soon find your child hugging their giraffe stuffed animal just like they do their other plush toys.

Some interesting facts about the giraffe include: despite its long neck, it only has seven vertebrae the same as most other mammals including man; even though they are mostly seen roaming in groups, they are not known to form social groups like lions they loosely associate with other giraffes and change those associations constantly. Giraffes can survive and go without water for very long periods of time and while they sometimes eat grass and fruit from various trees and shrubs, their principal diet is from the acacia tree. Even though this tree is equipped with thorns, the giraffes tongue is long and muscular and is adapted especially to be able to pick what it wants from the trees. And, despite its very large size, the giraffe is known as a selective feeder and can survive on as little as 15 pounds of foliage per day.

The next time your child requests a new plush toy, consider a giraffe stuffed animal instead of the standard bear. If nothing else, the sheer look of surprise on your child's face at receiving such an unusual plush animal, will be worth its weight in gold.

Angeline Hope is a collector of large plush stuffed animals. You can view a selection of large plush stuffed animals including stuffed giraffe plush toy animals at MyBigPlush.

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Giraffe Stuffed Animal & Facts

by marsmet551

Despite their incredible size and height, giraffes are graceful animals that roam open grasslands in Africa. They are the animal which often draws large crowds at zoos and animal parks because of their unusual looks. As is the case, a giraffe stuffed animal usually ends up in the car ride home.

Not surprisingly, giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world. Just their legs are six feet taller than a humans. They can stand up to 19 feet and weigh as much as 2,800 pounds. Their long legs give them the ability to run up to 35 miles per hour over short distances and over longer distances, they can cruise at a comfortable 10 miles per hour. One of the great things about some of the giraffe stuffed animals on the market, is that they can be purchased in such large sizes, you get the pseudo feeling of what it's like for them to be that tall. Online stores have a giraffe stuffed animal that is 5 feet tall! They also have others which are 4.5 feet in height that also come with sound. A young child standing next to one of these spectacular giraffe stuffed animals is sure to be a hit, albeit an overwhelming one given their size.

Like their bodies, a giraffes tongue is also large. At 21 inches in length, it helps them with retrieving their food from branches. Their height, of course, also assists in giving them the advantage to be able to browse the leaves and buds in treetops that most other animals cannot reach their favorites are acacias. Hundreds of pounds of leaves are eaten by a giraffe on a weekly basis and they have to travel for many miles just to find enough food. Thankfully, a giraffe stuffed animal only requires a place to live and lots of love and attention. Trying to find that many leaves to feed it might be a problem!

There are clearly only advantages to having a giraffe stuffed animal. While they are only made of plush fur and don't require food or water to live, they will nonetheless be a lifelong companion and friend that will share with you all your adventures, trials, and tribulations. And for that alone, you simply can't go wrong with a giraffe stuffed animal.

Angeline Hope is a collector of large stuffed animal toys. You can view a selection of large stuffed animals including giraffe stuffed animal toys at MyBigPlush.

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The West African Giraffe

by bill barber

West African Giraffe is also called Niger Giraffe or Nigerien Giraffe. It's a sub-species of giraffe and is found on the Sahel regions of West Africa. It's distinguished by its light colored spots unlike the other which have deep reddish spots. The giraffe's population used to be very high in countries like Senegal and Cameroon but today the y have greatly reduced to less than 200 hundred. The best sustaining of their herd can be sound in Southwest Niger.

West Africa Giraffes have reduced greatly due the encroachment by humans. Their areas of habitat have been occupied by farmers and also affected by dramatic droughts that docked the areas during 1800s. There have been a lot of conservation efforts since the 1990s. This has led to a great increase in their size. The numbers have increased from a low of 50 animals to around 175 as of 2007 reports. These efforts are being done by the Niger government in the northern part of Dosso Partial Faunal Reserve.

West Africa Giraffes migrates seasonally to the drier highlands of Dallol Bosso Valley around 80kilometres during the dry season. They migrate to an area named as Niamey. It's through this area that the government is able to monitor their movements. Here smooth relations between the farmers and the herd are encouraged in order to provide grounds for tourism. The animal can be observed around this area though organized tours. The area habitat is known as Tiger Bush and allow bands of trees to thrive therefore providing the animals with their diet.

Dickson is a professional tour guide located in Kenya. For more info on his work please visit his website at http://www.advenafrica.com. You can also contact him at http://www.advenafrica.com/gettingus.htm if you are interested in touring Kenya and Africa as a whole.

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