Giraffes in Akagera National Park
Giraffes in Akagera National Park
Giraffes in Akagera National Park: Visitors who wish to see giraffes in Rwanda can only do so in Akagera national park. The national park currently covers 1,122km², and mainly consists of savanna, montane forests, woodland, marsh and swamps. The park is being managed by Akagera Management Company, after a joint agreement in 2010 between Rwanda Development Board and African Parks, to manage the national park.
Akagera national park in Rwanda was first established in 1934 by the Belgian colonial government. The national park is home to over 500 species of birds and about 8,000 large mammals including lions, savannah elephants, rhinos, cape buffalos, zebras, antelopes and so many more. The park shelters over 85 Rothschild giraffes which tourists can easily view during a game drive Rwanda safari in the park.
Interesting facts about Rothschild giraffes
Height and weight
A male Rothschild giraffe can grow to a height of 6 meters tall (20 feet) and weigh up to 3,600 pounds, a female giraffe can grow to a height of 4.5 meters tall and weigh up to 2,600pounds and produce giraffe which weights around 150pounds and 5 feet tall.
Diet
Giraffes are herbivores which feed on vegetation. They use their long neck and tongue which is about 45 centimeters to feed on shrubs like leaves, young shoots, stems, fruits, tree barks and forage from one tree to another. Giraffes sleep for as little as 30 minutes to about 4 hours and they sleep while standing which means that they spend about 16 to 30 hours feeding in the park. Due to its size an adult giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of food each day. The giraffes hardly drink water but instead they receive their water through the leaves which they feed on such as acacia trees.
Habitat
Giraffes live in savannah grassland and woodland vegetation which are comprised of scattered tall trees and open forests where they will be able to feed and run around. They are one of the fastest animals in that they can run reaching to a speed of 56kilometres per hour and due to their height and long neck, they cannot live in dense forests because dense forests make their movement and feeding difficult. They live in groups of 10 to20 individuals and sometimes form groups with about 50 individuals, the groups are made up of males, females and the young ones. When the male giraffes mature, they leave the group and live a solitary life. They are gregarious, have excellent eyesight and do not lie down while sleeping, due to this behavior it prevents them against the predators like lions. Giraffes live up to 26 years in the wild and sometimes longer when in captivity.
Behavior
Male giraffes are not sociable as the females therefore they establish dominance among the herds by fighting. When eating the males forage food at a higher elevation than the females who forage food at their body height.
Unique features about Rothschild giraffe
Rothschild giraffes in Uganda are different from other giraffes in terms of the coat color which consists of dark orange and brown patches with beige and creamy white through them. Rothschild giraffes have white socks on the legs which continue up to the knees and three horns for the males and two horns for the females where two of them are in the same place and the third horn in the center of their forehead. A giraffe moves both right legs simultaneously followed by both left legs and the neck which contains seven vertebrae also the same as that of humans. The new born baby of a giraffe stands at about 2meters tall (6 feet).
How to differentiate a male and female giraffe
A male Rothschild giraffe is bigger in size than the female giraffe.
Rothschild giraffes have five horns called Ossicones and those for the males are on top while those of the females have hair on them
Males have three Ossicones and develop calcium deposits which form bumps on their skulls as the age which makes it look like additional horns while females have 2 Ossicones with thinner and far upon them. These calcium deposits protect the heads of male giraffes during a fight.
Males grow up to 20 feet tall with a weight of about 3,600 pounds while the females grow up to 16 feet tall with a weight of up to 2,600 pounds. Male giraffes grow darker in color at an old age while the females maintain their color.
Rothschild giraffes in Akagera national park can be viewed during the game drive, nature walk, and boat cruise on Lake Ihema. You will also get an opportunity to see other animals because the park shelters over 8000 animals such as the lions, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, elephants, bushbucks, oribis, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, bird species such as the pre-historic shoebill stork, goliath heron, black-headed lapwing, and the grey crowned crane among others hence making your safari to the national park exciting and unforgettable.
How to get to Akagera National Park in Rwanda.
Akagera National Park can be accessed by Road from Kigali City. It is about 110km From Kigali which is roughly a 2 and half hour drive.
Related tours to AKagera national park
3 Days Akagera national park safari
2 Days Akagera national park safari
