California Animal Parks ‘Spot'-Light World Giraffe Day

GIRAFFES? The regal ruminants possess so many astounding traits and qualities that it can be difficult to know what to spotlight first. Or should we say "spot"light, given that spots are something that many people associate with the amazing animal (though perhaps patches is the more accurate phrasing). But we also think of the giraffe's height, their notably long necks, the way that a calf is up and standing soon after its birth, and those impressive tongues, which are both lengthy and able to separate leaves from a branch in lickety-split fashion. There are so many songs to sing about this superstar that it truly deserves its own day, and the giraffe gets it, each and every year, on the 21st of June.

WORLD GIRAFFE DAY, of course, isn't simply about squeeing over these magnificent mammals. The occasion also shines a light on conservation, and what organizations are doing to help giraffes gallop into the figure. The Living Desert Zoo and Garden in Palm Desert is one of our California's hubs of giraffe-dom, and the animal park works the Giraffe SAFE Program to promote giraffe-centered causes. "In the past few years, we have spread the message that giraffe are in a silent extinction, which means many people were unaware that their numbers had drastically decreased in the wild and this species was in trouble. It is estimated that there are approximately only 117,000 giraffe in the wild, and the IUCN lists them as Vulnerable," shared the park in a June 21 statement.

LEARN MORE... about the Giraffe SAFE Program now, and find out where you can go to admire giraffes in person. The Living Desert, as mentioned, boasts a number of giraffes, as is San Diego Zoo Safari Park, B. Bryan Preserve in Point Arena, Safari West ("The Sonoma Serengeti"), Santa Barbara Zoo, and the Los Angeles Zoo, too. Do giraffes call your local animal park home? Check in with them, and whether there's a feeding program, which gives giraffe superfans a chance to give their favorite animals some tasty and crunchy lettuces while admiring their noble faces, and prodigious tongues, from just a few feet away.