According to scientists, the first giraffes appeared about 15 million years ago in Central Asia, where they later settled in Europe and Africa. The most ancient remains of giraffes were found in Africa and Israel. Their approximate age is 1.5 million years.
In ancient times, giraffes inhabited almost the entire African continent. They lived even in the delta of the Nile in Ancient Egypt and on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. And also, about 1400 years ago giraffes were ordinary representatives of the fauna of Morocco.
Inhabit the giraffes on savannah plains, where their basic food, acacia, is almost always abundant. More on the nutrition of giraffes read the article What is eaten by giraffes. The bulk of giraffes live in South and East Africa. They live in herds of no more than 30 individuals. There are such groups of relatives and lonely giraffes taken in the herd. The number of herds may vary, some individuals may leave, and others may come.
In the family, giraffes also distinguish sub-species that inhabit different African countries. Now in the world there are 9 subspecies of giraffes, the most famous is Masai giraffe, he lives in Kenya and Tanzania. The second in number, and also by renown – the mesh giraffe, lives in the expanses of southern Somalia and eastern Kenya. The species of giraffe Rothschild is found in Uganda and in the area of Lake Baringo, which is in Kenya. The South African giraffe lives in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Nubian giraffe – inhabitant of the fauna of eastern Sudan and Western Ethiopia. Giraffe Kordofan is a resident of the Central African Republic and western Sudan. Giraffe Thorncroft lives in Zambia. The West African giraffe once met throughout West Africa, now only in Chad. The Angolan giraffe lives in Botswana and Namibia. In the country in honor of which he was named, the subspecies is completely destroyed.
