Hi Kinky!
Monarto's most identifiable female is Kinky, so named for the slight kink in her neck which happened at birth.
The giraffe is found in the arid and dry savannah regions of Africa south of the Sahara Desert wherever trees occur.
Kinky Fun Facts:
- Kinky was born in 1999.
- She is known for her gentle, easy-going nature and will often come up to the platform for a feed during zoo keeper talks.
- She is part of seven females that inhabit Monarto's drive-through habitat while a bachelor group of seven bulls is housed in an off-limits area of the zoo.
GIRAFFE FACTS:
Giraffes form big, loose nomadic herds that wander the plains, feeding on vegetation as they go. They’re predominantly browsing animals, meaning they tend to eat leaves and bark off trees as the main part of their diet. This feeding pattern has allowed the giraffe to develop two very famous evolutionary traits – a very long neck and a very long, prehensile tongue that can extend up to 45cm! Both of these physical features allow giraffes to reach vegetation that is difficult to get to, giving it an advantage over other animals.
Giraffes are extremely picky eaters, favouring acacia trees, although they feed for up to 20 hours a day and consume approximately 30kg of foliage daily. A six-foot tall calf grows rapidly, as much as 2.5cm a day, and by six months old is fairly independent of its mother.
The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, averaging two hours daily. Individual giraffes have a unique pattern on their coat, just like fingerprints are unique to each human.
It is estimated there are approximately 800,000 giraffes roaming the savannah plains of Africa. This number is declining as their habitats shrinks due to human population growth and an increase in agricultural activity, expanding settlements and road construction. The giraffe’s main food source, acacia trees, is also on the decline.
Build your own Kinky!
- You will need scissors (with adult supervision) and double sided tape, however regular sticky tape will do.
- Cut along the solid blue lines, including the slits on the head and neck. Fold along the dotted lines.
- Fold the horns in half down the middle, and stick the two sides together. Add double sided tape to both tabs on the horns and push through large slit on the head, and stick tabs underneath.
- Add a strip of double-sided tape to the remaining tabs on the head and body, then fold, tuck and stick the tabs in numerical order.
- Join tab 6 to create a circular neck, and insert into the body. Position the semi-circular tab on the neck outward to prevent the head from slipping down.
