A giraffe can get many illnesses and diseases that most other wild animals are also capable of getting.
These can range from a number of different skin conditions, brain conditions and nutritional conditions.
One of the most common diseases that wild giraffes can get is giraffe skin disease, this affects the giraffes legs primarily and causes sores and scabs up its legs. This disease will cause great annoyance to the animal because it will make their legs very itchy. This in turn makes them vulnerable to other animals and poachers, as they become distracted or find it painful to travel long distances, or even to make sudden movements.
Some examples of these other common giraffe illnesses are:
- hoof disease
- malnutrition
- pica (when the giraffe regularly eats something that is not meant to be eaten, such as dirt, and this causes digestive problems).
- chronic wasting
Giraffes are also prone to parasite problems, such as those living on the skin or in organs like the the intestine. These parasites usually do not cause lasting problems for the animal but occasionally they can be very harmful.
