The lifespan of giraffe in the wild remains uncertain due to a lack of recorded evidence. It was long believed that both male and female giraffe will live approximately 25 years in the wild, with longer lifespans in captivity. However, new research suggests that giraffe in the wild can live much longer. The long-term conservation project of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in northwest Namibia has records of giraffe that were first identified as subadults in 2000 and are still alive today. This makes them some of the oldest recorded giraffe in the wild.
However, despite their towering height, giraffe have natural predators. Mortality rates vary based on region and predator density. Even adult giraffe can sometimes fall prey to lion, while subadults and calves are particularly vulnerable to hyena, leopard, wild dog, and crocodile.
For instance, in the Serengeti, the infant mortality rate for one-month-old Masai giraffe calves exceeds 20%, and about half do not survive their first six months. This figure climbs to nearly 60% by the end of the first year, decreasing to 8% in the second year and only 3% in the third. However, in the absence of predators, the early mortality rate can be almost zero.
Once mature, the defensive kick of an adult giraffe can inflict severe damage on even the most determined predator. Many lion have fallen victim to the power of their dinner plate-sized hooves.
