The giraffe stands out as a representative of Africa’s extraordinary animal kingdom. Elephants and rhinos can be found in Asia; lions, leopards and cheetahs are not that different from pumas or jaguars found in the Americas. But if you look out your window and see a wild giraffe, there is only one place you can be: Africa! The giraffe is symbolic of the Rainbow Nation and the concept of unity through diversity. The Arabic word ziraafa, meaning assemblage or tall, became the English word in the sixteenth century. Giraffe rock engravings and paintings have been found throughout Africa: A painting in Algeria shows a tiny giraffe with a long neck like a tornado going into a cloud. A painting in Namibia shows a giraffe's head and neck emerging from a cloud. A painting in South Africa shows a giraffe’s head above the clouds and rain falling on it. back