Gavin found a herd of giraffe hanging out with a herd of zebra on our final morning in Thornybush. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:20:31 AM Gavin said it is common to see different types of animals hanging out together. The more eyes and ears watching for predators, the safer everyone is. Also, the lower the likelihood any one individual would be the victim of an attack. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:20:53 AM P1050836 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:20:58 AM Giraffe are huge, and I wouldn't have guessed their coloring was camouflage, but it IS. When the giraffe steps behind a tree, he almost completely disappears. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:21:02 AM Giraffes among the trees - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:26:27 AM Ranger Gavin said giraffes, like elephants, eat the thorny trees in Thornybush Reserve thorns and all. Their tongues are prehensile, and are nimble enough to pluck a single leaf off a branch. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:23:32 AM Gavin also showed us some giraffe poo. It's suprisingly tiny! Giraffes are ruminants with 4-chambered stomachs. They get every last bit of nutrition out of everything they eat. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:23:58 AM Giraffes have very thick skin, even thicker than elephants. Ranger Gavin said they often walk through the electric fence surrounding Thornybush, and don't even feel the shock. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:27:44 AM P1050883 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:28:42 AM P1050886 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:30:11 AM P1050888 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:30:20 AM P1050891 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:30:27 AM P1050892 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:30:38 AM P1050898 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:32:52 AM P1050901 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:33:01 AM P1050903 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:33:17 AM P1050905 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:33:50 AM Yum... tree... - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:34:03 AM P1050909 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:34:15 AM P1050913 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:34:27 AM P1050915 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:35:00 AM P1050918 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:35:57 AM P1050919 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:36:20 AM P1050922 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:36:38 AM P1050924 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:36:44 AM P1050925 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:37:10 AM P1050927 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:38:29 AM P1050930 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:41:07 AM P1050934 - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:41:46 AM After watching the giraffes from the truck for a while, Gavin pulled over and we all got out of the truck for coffee with the giraffes and nearby zebras. It was awesome. - Tue 11 Aug 2009 07:41:53 AM P1050824_DCE - P1050844_DCE - P1050848_DCE - P1050849_DCE - P1050858_DCE - P1050859_DCE - P1050861_DCE - P1050864_DCE - P1050868_DCE - P1050872_DCE - P1050875_DCE - Giraffes are intelligent and curious, but also a bit skittish. They wanted to see what we were (a truck full of tourists), but were afraid to get too close. It seems the animals higher on the food chain were less afraid of our truck. - P1050896_DCE - Joel enjoys coffee with the giraffes. - I could hardly believe how hard it was to see the giraffes among the trees. They are very well camouflaged. - P1060003_DCE - As we drank our coffee, this guy wandered down the road to get a look at us from the other direction. -
