A tall animal is a bit of an understatement; giraffes are 18 feet or more in height (to my thinking, that goes a bit further than tall). They are, strangely enough, members of the same family as camels. The only similarity that I can detect is that both can kill you with a kick (I am writing this not in my usual style because giraffes tickle my fancy)!

They are such strange looking animals. They have necks that are longer than their bodies and very long legs that are also disproportionate to their body size. They are mammals, of course, and like most mammals have necks with 7 vertebrae, in itself a strange thing because of the length of the neck. However, their neck stretches admirably because they feed almost exclusively off the leaves of the Acacia Tree. That brings up the question of which came first, the long neck or the desire for the food of their choice? In the animal kingdom they have outstanding sight, hearing and sense of smell. Along with their speed, 30 miles an hour when necessary, their three outstanding senses are their greatest protection from predators (sad to say that man is one of them).

Notice the chasing on the animal, producing the spotted effect that can be either regular and geometric in shape, or irregular and blotchy in shape, or leaf-shaped. Notice the heavily lidded and soulful eyes -- aha! like those of a camel -- the knobby knees on which they often kneel to drink, also like a camel; the tufted tail; the close cropped mane running the length of the neck and the very sharp hooves which are their main weapon of defense.

As with all of the Fabergé Sterling Silver Collection the animals are hand made, hallmarked and signed Fabergé.

Retail: $600.00. Our price: $539.90.