The giraffe is the world’s tallest living animal, with an adult male Giraffa camelopardalis typically measuring between 4.6 and 5.5 m (15–18 ft) in height.
And yet, there is an exception to every rule.
On this year’s World Giraffe Day, we are taking a closer look at Gimli and Nigel, the first dwarf giraffes.
Gimli was first observed in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. As of 2017, he had an estimated total height of 282.9 cm (9 ft 3 in), which is approximately half the size of an adult male giraffe.
If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he was named after the famous Lord of the Rings dwarf character.
Nigel is even shorter than Gimli, measuring approximately 254.4 cm (8 ft 4 in) from hoof to the top of the horns. He was photographed in 2018 at a private farm in Namibia.
(Source: GuinnessWorldRecords)
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