What Is A Group Of Giraffes Called? Why Do They Go Around In Groups?

There are many weird, wacky, and fun names given to groups of animals!

Many names for groups of animals give us a hint about their appearance or certain characteristics which they possess. Though there are common collective nouns for certain types of animals, the names given often add a fun element while referring to groups of different species.

Giraffes are known to be social animals that travel in herds. Though 'herd' is the usual collective noun used for this animal species, there are a few other words that have been given to these groups in accordance with their features. To learn more about these ginormous giraffes, read on!

If you enjoy this article, do check out our other pages on why do giraffes have long necks and how long do giraffes sleep.

What is a group of baby giraffes called?

A giraffe group is known as a tower, which is quite fitting for these long-legged animals!

Giraffes, being the world's tallest animals, do tower over almost everyone and everything around them in the wild, and an approaching group of them can look quite spectacular! 'Tower' seems quite an appropriate word to call them.

You can also call them a herd, which is the common collective noun used for a group of social, hooved animals. This word is more commonly used than 'tower'.

A group of traveling giraffes is also called a 'journey'! Wild giraffes have a very large home range, and they are non-territorial creatures. Due to this, they can be quite nomadic in nature, and you will often see them traipsing across the landscape during a safari in Africa.

Giraffes are known for their beautiful, spotted coats, which can create mind-boggling optical illusions when two giraffes intertwine their necks. As they move, you can see these spots shimmer and bounce along with the bobbing motion of the giraffe's neck, which is why a group of giraffes has been given another imaginative name: a 'kaleidoscope'.

Are giraffes social animals?

Giraffes are very social animals and can often be found in large herds. These groups usually contain 10-20 individuals, though groups with almost 50 giraffes have also been spotted!

Though giraffes are herd animals, they do not live in well-defined herds, which are lifelong. The members of the herd may come and go; hence they are ever-changing.

This phenomenon is called a fission-fusion society. Most of their time is spent foraging, and their need to stay in a herd depends more on protecting themselves from predators while doing so rather than as a bonding practice, as many people think.

Why do giraffes move around in groups?

Though giraffes are herbivorous in nature, they have only a few natural predators due to their massive size. These are mostly crocodiles, lions, and humans.

Like a lot of other herbivores, giraffes tend to travel and stay together in groups in order to deter predators from approaching them. If a lion or crocodile does try to attack, they attempt to fight them off by kicking them with their strong feet.

They are also very fast, as their long legs enable them to run at a speed of 35 mph (56 kph) for short distances, meaning they can outrun animal predators.

Does a giraffe group include both males and females?

Male and female giraffe groups are often separate. Most groups consist of female giraffes, along with their calves. The male calves are known to stay with their mothers until they are 15 months old, after which they leave to join herds of other male giraffes. Females will continue on with the same tower.

Though males may leave the group, they often join herds that are in the same area as where they were born. Once giraffes reach four years of age, they are able to mate and give birth to offspring of their own.

More mature males are known to lead quite solitary lives, though they may be seen together in pairs at times.

Giraffes do not form long-term pairs, which is why male and female giraffes are not seen living together. They merely come together during times of mating, after which they rejoin their herds.

Conserving Giraffe Populations

Giraffes play a very important part in the ecosystem.

Giraffes are the only animals that can graze on the upper branches of many trees, which helps to keep their growth in check as well as decreases competition for vegetation at a lower level, which shorter animals can then feed on.

This makes it easier for many species to co-exist without worrying about the supply of leaves, vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

They are also tied to the acacia tree; most acacia tree seeds do not germinate until they pass through a giraffe's digestive system, which enables them to grow.

They also host ticks which can be fed on by many insectivorous birds, which can often be seen perching on the backs of giraffes and pecking through their fur.

However, giraffe populations have recently been on the decline due to overgrazing of vegetation by livestock and habitat loss. They are also targeted by poachers, who shoot and kill them for their meat, tail hair, and hide.

The South African giraffe population has dropped by almost 40% in the past 30 years, which has led to them being listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Many conservation groups, such as San Diego Zoo Global and Earth day, are working tirelessly to save giraffe populations.

Their main aim is to raise awareness about the importance of giraffes in the ecosystem and help South African locals live in harmony with wild animals species.

There are many factors that have led to the decline of giraffe populations, such as starvation and drought in Africa (leading to the hunting of giraffes for their meat) and the demolition of acacia tree plantations, which takes away their main food source.

These groups in Africa are making efforts to solve these problems through funding and awareness.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'What is a group of giraffes called?' then why not take a look at 'Why do giraffes have horns?', or 'Giraffe facts'.