Help save the tallest mammals on earth

Today the world is celebrating and appreciating the fascinating and tall creatures, giraffes.  Not only is it a celebration but also a chance to create awareness, raise support and shed light on the challenges giraffes face in the wild. By supporting World Giraffe Day (WGD) you directly help save giraffe in Africa. There are only 100,000 giraffe remaining in the wild.

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation is dedicated to saving Masai giraffe in Kenya and Tanzania. According to their site, giraffes have recently been listed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Giraffe numbers in Africa have plummeted by a staggering 40 per cent over the last 30 years.

Find more information on how to help save the giraffes on: giraffeconservation.org

Five facts you might not know about giraffes:

1. They are the tallest mammals on the earth
2. Over short distances, giraffes can run at speeds up to 35 mph.
3. Despite their characteristic long necks, giraffes actually have the same number of neck vertebrae as humans—just seven.
4. Their tongues can be as long as 45cm, allowing them to get their lunch from very tall trees
5. A giraffe’s tongue is blue-back to protect it from sunburn in hot climates

WATCH: An interesting look at how giraffes evolved