Typically, giraffes live between 25 and 30 years. Their lifespan in captivity and in the wild is different. While giraffes in the wild do not reach more than 25 years, the oldest recorder giraffe in captivity was 38 years old.
A giraffe. Image credit: Andreas Goellner via Pixabay, free license
Different lifespans in the wild and in captivity
Actually, we do not know precisely how long giraffes can live in the wild, because their longevity measurements have been done in captivity only.
Scientists say that their lifespan in the natural environment should be shorter because of the different natural challenges the animals need to face daily, be it a search for food, or defending against predators. Therefore, giraffes are thought to reach a maximum age of approximately 25 years when living in the wild.
The record-holding 38-year-old specimen was reported by a single source only. 32-33 years is already a very respectable old age for any giraffe.
Life under human surveillance in a zoo is not as fun as in nature, but people surely protect them against diseases and other dangers and also provide an adequate amount and variety of food. All this leads to longer lives for giraffes.
Giraffes living in a zoo. Image credit: Alexas_Fotos via Pixabay, free license
How fast do giraffes grow?
The life of a giraffe begins with 13 – 15 months in the mother's womb. The birth may look frightening for a human being, as the calf falls about two meters on the ground while the mother stands, but it is usually a safe process – of course, just for this species.
After 20 minutes, the calf can stand on his feet. An hour later, it can walk, and the next day after birth, it can run already. The young giraffe grows fast. It is born about 6 feet tall and reaches 12 feet by its first birthday. The calf is ready to leave the mother's protection at 15-18 months old. It continues to grow until the age of 5-7 years.
Around 2 meters (6.6 ft) tall, newborn giraffes are already taller than most humans. No wonder they are the tallest animals in the world.
Adult giraffe with its young. You can see the height scale on the left. Image credit: Pixabay, free license
The difficult life of a giraffe
Sadly, about half of newborn giraffes lose their life during their first six months. Up to 20% of them perish during the first month of their existence in this world. Usually, baby giraffes become victims of predators like lions, leopards, crocodiles, wild dogs, and hyenas. Their mortality rates vary in different geographical locations, mainly because the types of predators and their population density are different from region to region.
Second and third-year giraffes are already quite resistant to external dangers and most of them survive into adulthood.
Adult giraffes can be fierce warriors
Adult giraffes, in contrast, can use their hooves to defend themselves. Even their 6-feet-long necks can be used as a weapon
There are not many predators that would be crazy enough to assault a grown-up giraffe, because their kicks are enormously strong: even a lion can be killed in a single hoof strike if he is careless enough to approach the potential prey from the wrong side. Just so you know: the adult giraffe's hoof is 30 cm in diameter, which basically is the same as a large dinner plate.
Such a blow can break a jaw of a rival giraffe male. Luckily, that does not happen often. Image credit: Plastic Tiger via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
Even lions rarely dare to touch individuals weighing more than 550 kg (1,210 pounds). But specimens weighing below this limit are still attacked regularly by major carnivores while the animals are lying down or drinking. They can also die in territorial fighting with other giraffes, due to diseases, or starvation.
Moreover, humans traditionally hunt giraffes for hide, hair, and meat. The destruction of their natural habitats also reduces the number of these beautiful animals. Natural habitats are lost due to uncontrolled timber harvesting activities, expansion of agriculture, urbanization, and also due to mining operations. Therefore, they are nowadays classed as conservation-dependent.
Wrapping up
Giraffes are truly iconic animals – exceptionally tall, colorful, human-friendly, and intelligent. They have an exceptionally long lifespan compared to other ruminants, or hoofed herbivores. Their life, however, is not easy. Baby giraffes are vulnerable to predation, while careless human activities also destroy the natural habitats where giraffes are used to live in.