Hand Painted Polka Dot Wooden Giraffe 18

Beautifully hand carved and painted 18" Wooden Giraffe. These wood sculptures are made by artists scattered throughout Zimbabwe, mainly in remote rural areas. As much care is taken in the carving and finishing of a product as is also taken in the selection, maintenance and delivery of these fabulous one-of-a-kind sculptures.

Hand carved from non-endangered Jacaranda wood. Each of these stunning Giraffes will look similar, but not identical to the one pictured, but each is a one of a kind piece with its own unique markings and poses.

A super sized two-animal combo - Dropping in

When a giraffe baby, called a calf, is born, it drops to the ground head first, about a 6-foot (1.8-meter) drop! The fall and the landing don't hurt the calf, but they do cause it to take a big breath. The calf can stand up and walk after about an hour. Sometimes the mother will leave the calf alone for most of the day. The youngster sits quietly by itself until she returns.

When the calves get older, many mothers will leave them together in a "nursery." One of the moms will stay and baby-sit while the others go out to eat. The young giraffes can eat leaves at the age of four months.

Giraffes have a small hump on their backs. They have a spotted pattern similar to that of a leopard. For a long time people called the giraffe a "camel-leopard," because they believed that it was a combination of a camel and a leopard. That's where the giraffe's species name comes from!

Good news for giraffes

Although their numbers have decreased in the past century, giraffes are not currently endangered, but listed as "lower risk" with fairly stable populations. There is one subspecies that is in trouble though. Studies show there are only about 445 Uganda giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi left in the wild. The rest of the giraffe species have not become endangered for a number of reasons. They are not feared by humans and they are not killed for any folk medicine remedies. They do not compete for food with livestock such as sheep and cows. They do not eat farmers' crops. Finally, they are admired the world over for their enormous size, natural beauty, and mild nature