A couple of weeks ago, a friend suggested that I follow some of the National Geographic photographers on Instagram, because they post stunning images constantly. One of the photographers I followed was Ami Vitale (@amivitale); while I was stalking her, I found the cutest little animal I had never heard of, the Gerenuk.
Gerenuks are a type of antelope native to the Great Lakes region of Africa. These adorable creatures look like a cross between a giraffe and a deer; consequently, Gerenuk is Somali for "giraffe-necked." They have long slender bodies and necks, small heads, and large eyes and ears. This body shape allows Gerenuks to stand on their hind legs in order to pluck leaves off of trees. They literally lick the leaves off tree branches one at a time which is probably why they are so skinny.
Male Gerenuks have horns and stand significantly taller than the hornless females. Males stand at about six feet tall and weigh in at around 115 pounds while females are about five and a half feet tall and 100 pounds.
Gerenuks are pretty social creatures who take daily naps after lunch (I'm jealous). Their community is separated into isolated male and female herds; the females are responsible for the children's care while the males just focus on eating. Their lives are very similar to the lives of cows; not much matters besides eating.
If you're like me, you're probably wondering why you have never heard of the majestic animals before. While they are not an endangered species, they are listed as close to threatened. There aren't that many Gerenuks, because they are so specific to a region of Africa. If you want to see the pleasant faces of Gerenuks, but don't foresee a trip to Africa anytime soon, here's a list of zoos that have Gerenuks. The Saint Louis Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Peoria Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Miami Zoo, Denver Zoo, the White Oak Conservation Foundation, and the North Carolina Zoo. Gerenuks cannot survive in ecosystems with harsh winters; in fact, they don't handle cold well at all. That's why there are practically no Gerenuks in European zoos; North American zoos are some of the only zoos that have been able to simulate the habitats that Gerenuks are adapted to. Many of the North American zoos with Gerenuks exhibits also have Gerenuks breeding programs to help prevent the species from being listed as a threatened species.
So the next time you're looking for a cute animal to brighten your day, try a Gerenuk. They pretty much look like they're always smiling, so they won't let you down!
