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Featuring giraffe, waterbuck and zebra, the African Plains habitat is one of Zoo Atlanta’s most impressive naturalistic landscapes, showcasing species found together in the wild on the African savanna.
Giraffe
Zoo Atlanta’s collection features one reticulated giraffe and two hybrid reticulated/Rothschild’s giraffe. Reticulated giraffe are the smallest of the giraffe subspecies at no more than 15 feet in height. Giraffe live in loosely-structured herds on grasslands or in open woodlands, foraging on over 100 plant species. At birth, newborn calves are already up to six feet tall and weigh as much as 150 pounds. Gestation is about 15 months.
Common waterbuck
Waterbuck are among the largest of the antelope species; males can stand over four feet tall at the shoulder and weigh over 550 pounds. Found throughout southeastern Africa, these herbivores range near permanent water sources. True to their name, they are also excellent swimmers, and sebaceous follicles in the skin help to waterproof their coats. In the wild, waterbuck herds can number over 50 members, with polygamous males actively defending their territories.
Plains zebra
Although they are the most common of the zebra species, plains zebra are still threatened by habitat loss in their native Africa. A zebra’s best-known characteristic – its stripes – affords extra protection from predators, and no two individuals bear the same stripe pattern. Social networking is incredibly important for zebra, which depend on the safety of large herds. Speed is a zebra’s best defense against attack, but when cornered, the animals are also capable of powerful, dangerous kicks.
In the Forest
Zoo Atlanta also features two forest antelope species near the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest.
Bongo
Africa’s largest and most colorful forest antelope, the bongo was a creature of great mystery and superstition in Africa until the 20th century. Visually stunning animals with impressively long, spiral horns and chestnut-and-white striped coats, bongos are extremely shy and prefer dense forests. Interestingly, the reddish pigmentation in bongo coats rubs off so easily that the color will even bleed in rain! Unlike species found on the open savanna, bongos live singly or in small groups.
Yellow-backed duiker
Found in mountain and tropical forests in west and central Africa, yellow-backed duikers display distinctive triangles of yellow hair on their backs. When the animals are threatened, these hairs stand erect. Adults form monogamous pairs, and both male and female defend territory. Territorial behaviors include scent marking and dominance displays. |
