My Favorite Animal

Commended Entry: "My Favorite Animal" by Fadya Isiaka Katundu from Tanzania

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2023 in the Junior Category 8 - 11 years.

My favourite animal

How my life changed when I met my favorite wild animal: the giraffe.

A giraffe is a very wonderful animal. It is a larger African hoofed mammal. The giraffe is a peaceful animal with a dark grey skin color. A baby giraffe is called a calf. The baby giraffe is about six feet tall. Male giraffes are about sixteen to eighteen feet tall while females are about fifteen to sixteen feet tall. Giraffes eat leaves and twigs of acacia. Their life span is about twenty-five years. They live in semi-arid, savannah and savannah woodlands.

I like giraffes as they are gentle as well as elegant and easygoing. Giraffe is very friendly. In Tanzania, it is a national animal, and it is used in Tanzania bank notes. Also, together with the national flag of Tanzania, the giraffe image is used to identify the planes owned by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania. Likewise, the image of the giraffe on the tails of such planes signifies the country's natural resources.

I like giraffes. I like seeing them walk in groups as they are very friendly. The interesting fact is that a lion cannot kill a giraffe only a pride of lions can. People go to national parks simply to see giraffes with their kindness. A giraffe is one of the best animals. It has a blue-purple long tongue and is the tallest mammal on land. Can you imagine! A baby giraffe takes ten hours after birth to make friends. The giraffe is even a friend to elephants.

When I saw a giraffe for the first time, my heart released anger and hatred. I felt happiness inside my heart seeing them walking and eating in groups. It was really amazing. Giraffes are herbivores as they eat some vegetables such as carrots and lettuce. I like giraffes as they have long necks that help them to see from afar vision. Foreigners and local people always take their time watching giraffes eat their food and even playing with each other.

Basically, there are Maasai and Northern giraffes. Massai giraffes have large dark brown dots, and they are found in Olduvai George in Tanzania. Northern giraffes are found in the Ngorongoro crater one of the best places to be.

I invite you to join me and explore the beauty of giraffes by visiting the Ngorongoro crater and Olduvai Geoge in Tanzania. Karibu Sana.

Congratulations on your essay "My favourite animal" This is such a lovely essay! Great effort! Asante sana, Fadya!

Fadya Isiaka Katundu attends Hannah Bennie School in Dar es Salaam/ Tanzania. English as Second Language. Home language is Kiswahili