Gerenuk

Litocranius walleri

Giraffe gazelles are also called gerenuks.

High tea

To reach higher foliage, gerenuk stand gracefully on their hind legs and use their front legs to support themselves against the tree trunk. That’s a great advantage, as up here there is less competition for food!

Charakteristics

Origin
East Africa, from southern Ethiopia across Somalia and Kenya to north-eastern Tanzania
Habitat
scrubland, savannah, rarely desert
Diet
Gerenuk eat leaves, twigs, shoots, flowers and fruits.
Status
near threatened; decreasing

Size
up to 150 cm
Weight
Male: 50 kg
Female: 40 kg
Gestation period
203 to 210 days
Achievable age
up to 12 years in the wild, up to 15 years in human care

Threat Categories of IUCN

The right tools for the job

Gerenuk are well adapted to their sparse habitat. They barely need any drinking water, as they get all the necessary fluids from their main food source: leaves! To help them reach their lofty food, nature has equipped this antelope with a long neck and long legs.

Did you know that ...

...gerenuk are also known as “giraffe gazelles”,
...up to 12 females may live together in a herd with their calves,
...and male gerenuk are solitary animals?

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