Meet our desert dwelling Angolan giraffe from northwest Namibia
Asha
Asha, previously known as KHBF035, is a new addition to our Adopt-a-Giraffe family and was named by one of our Adopt-a-Giraffe members.
She is an adult female desert-dwelling giraffe who was first spotted in the Khumib River in northwest Namibia where she likes to hang out as part of a rather tight-knit female herd. While the exact composition changes, we mostly see her in the company of a few female friends and their calves. Occasionally, male visitors pass through the area and pay these ladies a visit.
Cliff
Cliff (HNBM070) is a younger adult male, being first spotted in February 2016 as a sub-adult, meaning we can estimate his age to be between 7 and 10 years.
He is also one of our most recognizable giraffe, not only for his special facial features but he also has a gorgeous marking that we think looks like the African continent around the top of his left front leg – can you spot it??
Coffee Bean
Coffee Bean (HNBM027) is an adult male desert-dwelling giraffe in northwest Namibia
He is a confident bull in the prime of his life and stands tall with pride. While roaming his environment during the day, he is camouflaged by his cleverly designed spot patterns which blend with the dappled light of the desert. His bald ossicones (this is the correct name for giraffe ‘horns’) show us that he spends time participating in contests with other males for breeding rights. When not fighting for dominance, this gentle giant is often seen in the company of other giraffe, gracefully making their way along the dry Hoanib River while browsing their favourite trees.
Dobby
Dobby (HSBM044) is a young male desert-dwelling giraffe who roams far and wide across the vast desert plains of northwest Namibia in search of his two favourite things.
His especially big ears pick up any warning sounds of approaching predators, and his long neck gives him an excellent vantage point. What are his two favourite things? Food, especially Ana trees, and female giraffe of course!
Kaoko
Kaoko (HSBF026) is a graceful and confident adult female desert-dwelling giraffe, who spends most of her time in the Hoarusib River in northwest Namibia.
She spends her days moving peacefully up and down the dry riverbed’s length, often in the company of other female giraffe.
When she is not delicately using her prehensile tongue to locate the tastiest leaves, she is often seen quietly ruminating in the shade of the tall trees that line the riverbed.
Kunene
Kunene (HNB056) is a beautiful and gentle female desert-dwelling giraffe.
She is named after the region where she lives in northwest Namibia.
We have observed her reaching maturity in recent years and since then, Kunene has begun to venture beyond her familiar range, and we find her wandering along the Hoanib River in search of food. Often, she is seen in herds of adult female giraffe, where she finds company and learns skills that help her survive in the harsh landscapes of the Namibian desert.
Monkey
Monkey (HNBF027) is a gregarious adult female desert-dwelling giraffe.
She can usually be found browsing in the middle section of the Hoarusib River in the company of other female and male giraffe.
She has been one of our adopted giraffe since she was a young calf, and has developed quite a reputation because of her cheeky personality. She is not very keen on being photographed and while we spot her quite often, she likes to play hide-and-seek with our vehicle by expertly hiding behind a tree or bushes whenever the camera comes out!
Ninja
Ninja (HSBM136) is a handsome male giraffe with a calm and rather sweet personality.
While he was first identified in the Hoarusib River he is very mobile – to put it mildly. We never know where to find him and he moves frequently between river systems and seems to know all the giraffe back-routes through the steep and rocky mountains. He is always good for a surprise encounter when we least expect him.
Windy
Windy (HNBF030), who was first spotted in 2002 as a young female sub-adult, is now a mature adult desert-dwelling giraffe.
At over eighteen years of age, Windy is one of the oldest documented wild female giraffe in the whole of Africa.
Scientifically, Windy’s advanced age is making history! She spends most of her time in the Hoanib River, where she is often seen in the company of younger adult female giraffe and their calves. As an experienced mother – having had a number of offspring of her own – Windy readily takes on the role as the resident ‘aunty’, watching over and protecting other giraffe’s calves while their mothers venture away for short periods in search of better browse.
Winky Wonk
Winky Wonk (HNBM038) is an adult male desert-dwelling giraffe in northwest Namibia. He is easy to recognise because he has a bent left ossicone (horn).
He is often seen roaming around on the lookout for females, and even though he has a bent ossicone, his ability to challenge other bulls does not seem to be affected. Like all the giraffe living in this part of Namibia, Winky Wonk is specially adapted to cope with the harsh desert conditions. He is able to walk long distances without having to rely on regular water sources, and browsing in the early hours of the morning when there is lots of moisture in the air from fog from the nearby coast allows him to get enough water from his food.
Zora
Zora (HNBF088) is a desert-dwelling female giraffe that roams along the Hoanib River in northwest Namibia.
Zora has a very distinct look – actually, it is more of an attitude. We mostly recognize her instantly by the way she is giving us ‘the look’ when she spots us in a distance. If that fails, she is easily identified by the prominent arrow-shaped spot on her right shoulder. Interestingly, she shares a very similar arrow-shaped spot in almost the exact same part of her body with her daughter Zorba.
Meet our adoptee Angolan giraffe from Etosha Heights
Dadel
Meet Dadel, EHF087.
She is an older cow with a noticeable arching back. She regularly feeds next to the road at an intersection we call ‘giraffe corner’, an area with good browse and where giraffe are often seen.
The first time we saw her she was on her way to Dadelpos waterhole, meeting up with a group of cows and a bull near the water at sunset.
Eric Flossicones
Meet Eric Flossicones EHM092, named after Eric who created the World Giraffe Day 5k run that happens each year.
This large bull has impressive ossicones, is a deep dark colour and roams around the western section of Etosha Heights, known as Moesamoeroep, the former farm which was incorported into the larger EH reserve. ‘Moesamoeroep’ means, ‘let the eyes see’ in the local Damara language. Time will tell where he roams to and with whom he is seen next.
Kate Mossicones
Meet Kate Mossicones EHF055.
Just like her namesake, Kate has long legs, and she is easily recognised by a circular scar on her left side, possibly from a bite wound.
We are hoping however that just like her namesake, Kate Mossicones will learn to love the camera and we will be able to capture some beautiful, model like shots of her in the months and years to come.
Pac-Man
Meet Pac-Man.
We often name giraffe by a shape of their patterns or area, and his name comes from the shape of a Pac-Man on his right side (can you spot it?).
Pac-Man loves mingling and socialising on the plains near Mountain Lodge on Etosha Heights close to our research station so we are hopeful we get get to see him somewhat regularly.
Tima
Meet Tima, EHF084.
Tima, meaning ‘mother’ in the local Damara language, is an attentive, caring and vigilant mother. She is an older cow and has most likely raised many calves.
Like so many giraffe on Etosha Heights, Tima bears some claw scars on her left rump, suggesting she may have survived a lion attack.
Violet
Meet Violet.
She is a pale coated female giraffe residing on the Etosha Heights reserve.
She is social and is regularly spotted in the company of some fellow adoptee giraffe. This tells us that not only does Violet enjoy the company, she’s proving the theory of the fission-fusion social dynamics as she mixes up her friendships on a regular basis.
I am very unahappy that i was automatically charged a $50 donation.
I would have purchased a adoption plus and I known i was going to be charged that much. There is no contact info, to have this refunded.
Hi Angela, I’ve just responded to you via email.
And for future reference, you can always reach us via our website contact form, or just by email at [email protected]
I am new on here. Have any calves been born during the past year?
We have recorded 30 births in 2021 which is a great number considering the harsh conditions of northwest Namibia.
Are you still looking for a name for the newest female giraffe ? I have a couple of ideas if you’d like them or even put them aside for another new giraffe.
[email protected]
Allison
Hi Allison,
All giraffe at this stage have been named, but if we need to name another, we will put a call out for suggestions and look forward to hearing yours.
Very nice photo’s. I like how Monkey is looking at us from behind the bush. Does she know we can see her?
I adopted and named ASHA and have enjoyed seeing her with her first baby Fria hearing she gave birth again in January was even more exciting and hope to adopt the new baby when he/she is ready.
Zora was my first giraffe to adopt and love her attitude. 🦒❤️🦒❤️🦒❤️🦒❤️
Thanks for your support Holly!
I’ve been gift-adopting Muffin for years but just noticed he isn’t on this list now. What happened to him?
Hi Jill,
Our last sighting of Muffin was in late 2018, in the Palmwag Concession, just south of our study area.
We hope he has just moved out of the area permanently, however, we are always on the lookout in case he wanders north and will certainly let you know if we spot him again.
I adopted a Giraffe and named him/her Dozer, will they be featured soon?
Hi Alexander,
Welcome to our adoption portal. All our adoptee giraffe currently have names as you can see from this post, but when we are ready to name a new giraffe you can certainly throw Dozer into the mix 😁
Pac Man and Dobby seem to be trouble makers, and im all for it! Love this organization
Hello! I just signed up to adopt a giraffe. I wasn’t sure if I select one or just wait until the conservation selects one for me. Looking forward to following all of the adoptees and finding out which one my resources may be able to help!
Thank you!
Hi Nicole,
You are welcome to follow the adventures of as many (or all) of our giraffe and our updates, when available, will include all giraffe that we have seen. However, for our official adoption certificate you can choose whichever giraffe you like to ‘officially adopt’ and you can create this on the adoption home page under the ‘get started’ button. Our adoption portal is undergoing some changes currently so please don’t be alarmed if you check back in from time to time and it looks a little different.
Thanks for choosing to #StandTallForGiraffe with us!