What's spotted at the zoo?

Meet Asali, 19, one of the Los Angeles Zoo's two female giraffes.
Tad Motoyama / Los Angeles Zoo

This Learning Link was provided by Judy Shay at the Los Angeles Zoo, situated in Griffith Park at the juncture of the 134 and 5 freeways. For more information, call (323) 644-6400 or visit www.lazoo.org.

A giraffe is a giraffe, right?

Wrong. If you study them closely, you'll learn there are nine subspecies, and each one has a different spot pattern.

Giraffes are the tallest land mammals. At birth, they are already about 6 feet tall and can grow to be 18 feet tall. Because of their height, there is little competition for their main food source -- leaves from the tops of trees. They live peacefully in herds of up to 15, among the wildebeests, zebras and impalas of Africa.

Giraffes have few predators. Lions and hyenas may go after baby giraffes but would not try to attack adults. Giraffes have strong and deadly kicks. The giraffes at the Los Angeles Zoo are all from the Masai subspecies found in the African savannas of Kenya and Tanzania. Their spot patterns are star-like, with lacy or irregular edges.

Artimus, 6, is the zoo's newest giraffe. You can meet him, together with females Neema, 16, and Asali, 19. They are part of the zoo's breeding program, which the zoo hopes will produce baby giraffes. The zoo's other giraffe is Kito, 22. He has fathered 19 offspring that now live at other zoos.

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