African Savanna - Giraffes on the Fog Line

A stop on San Francisco Zoo: Exhibit by Exhibit, a free self-guided tour.

Look out over three acres of open grassland in the Leanne B. Roberts African Region, where several species share the same ground the way they do in East Africa. You may see reticulated giraffes, plains zebras, greater kudu, ostriches and storks moving between the grass and the shade trees.

Mixed habitats like this are harder to run than single-species yards, because keepers must make sure every animal has room to step away from the others. The reward is natural behavior: giraffes browse high while zebras graze low, each using a different layer of the landscape.

The zoo's first African Scene opened in 1967, and this larger savanna arrived in 2004 with the bond-funded rebuild. Farther along the path, Giraffe Lodge brings you close to the tallest residents. Reticulated giraffes are listed as endangered in the wild.

Getting here: From the entrance, follow the path to your right into the African Region and stop at the first savanna overlook.

Did you know?: A giraffe's tongue can be about 18 to 20 inches long, and its dark color may help protect it from sunburn while the giraffe feeds.

Photo op: From the overlook, wait for a giraffe to stand against the sky and frame it with the grassland in front.

For kids: Count how many different kinds of animals you can see at once, then guess which is tallest, which is fastest and which is heaviest.

Nearby: Restrooms are back in the Entry Village; a snack cart stands near Giraffe Lodge along the path.

More on Wikipedia: Reticulated giraffe · Plains zebra · Greater kudu

African Savanna - Giraffes on the Fog Line

Stops on this tour