Christmas day we headed out into the bush again early in the morning after a quick breakfast. We were anxious to see more animals, especially elephants. Not far from camp we encountered a very large giraffe grazing on the tops of the acacia trees right next to the road. He warily eyed us but didn't really seem to mind our presence. Giraffes need to keep moving as they graze, because, once he starts munching, the acacia tree sends out tannin to it's leaves. It tastes bittter to the giraffe. The other trees nearby somehow sense the tannin and also begin to secrete tannin. This forces the giraffes to keep moving from tree to tree to avoid the tree's natural defence. The giraffe needs to move at least 40 feet from the tree he was munching on to avoid the tannin. Tannin can be toxic to the giraffes. Who knew trees were so clever? 

Left - Giraffe at Sabi Sabi. Note the Oxpecker on the right side of the giraffe's neck just under his chin. The Oxpecker can be a real pain in the neck.  This giraffe had a raw place on it's  neck where  the bird had pecked it raw. 

(Read more in " Day Two in Sabi Sabi continued" published 09/16/2007)