The West African Giraffe By: Emily M. Conroy Endangered The West African Giraffe has been on the endangered species list since 2008 The West African Giraffe has been on the endangered species list since 2008 The lowest the population ever reached was 50 giraffes in 1996 The lowest the population ever reached was 50 giraffes in 1996 Destruction of the population Poaching these beautiful animals is a crime because they are on the endangered species list Human encroachment on there land for expansion of crop fields limits the West African Giraffes recourses Population increases As more people and foundations become involved with the conservation of this subspecies, these giraffes are slowly making a comeback. Big and Tall Fully grown male giraffes stand on average about 174, females are smaller, averaging at 141. A fully grown male can weigh anywhere between 1,764 to 4,255 pounds, females weigh between 1,212 to 2,601 pounds All About the Heart The heart of a giraffe measures about 2 feet in length and weighs about 25 lbs. Camel-leopards At one point in time people thought that giraffes were a cross of camels and leopards, as to account for there hump and spots. As distinctive as a thumbprint West African Rothschild Watch-Tower of the wild Standing to tall and camouflaging so well helps with survival The West African Giraffe is patterned with light tan and brown colors, they blend well with the dry grasses and trees of there area Funny babys Funny babys This is Jengo, born in September of 2012 at the Windsnad e zoo Babies are born forelegs then head, its like a swan- dive from six feet up Tongue Tied A giraffes tongue is black, the mouth and tongue are impenetrable, this protects the giraffe from thorns Will they float? With the help of the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Darren Naish used 3-D renderings and digital giraffes to see if the tallest land animal would sink or float. There findings concluded that they could in fact float, but would flail about and have trouble keeping their heads above water What's not to love These gentle creatures are on the endangered species list, but thanks to foundations and wildlife preserves, there numbers are going up!