Giraffes, with their long necks, long legs, and distinctive patterns, are one of the easiest animals to recognize. Male and female giraffes have “horns” protruding from their heads. These are called ossicones, formed through the ossification of cartilage. The appearance of the horns can determine the sex of an adult giraffe; females have tufts of hair sprouting from the ossicones tips and males do not. The males lose these tufts of hairs from the constant head butting between rivals during mating battles.
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Angola’s name is derived from the Bantu language. The term “Ngola” was the title given to the rulers of Ndongo, a kingdom centered in the northern highlands of present day Angola. The kingdom flourished from the 14th to the 17th century. The coastal areas began to fall under Portuguese control beginning in the 17th century and remained under Portuguese rule until independence was granted in 1975. From 1975 until 2002, when a peaceful settlement was negotiated, Angola suffered a long and brutal civil war.
