Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) are just so cool...

[sabbath999]

OK... I am posting this not becase it is a great picture (it isn't), but rather just because Gerenuk are just so cool.

This is how they feed. They have extremely long necks and they have special adaptations in their pelvis which allows them to stand on their back legs to feed off of shrubs and trees. Often, when several are together, they will stand lean on each other in a daisy chain.

This is just an average, everyday shot of a couple of them I took in November in Memphis, TN... nothing special about the shot, I just love Gerenuk's.

BTW the 70-200 VR is one seriously SHARP lens . Before posting this I went back and looked at the original. Dang, it was sharp. I knew there was a reason I paid $1700 bucks for the thing and lug it around all day even though it kills my back

EXIF: D300, 70-200 VR, f/6.3, ISO 400, 200mm.

 

[surfingfireman]

I remember seeing some gerenuks while in Kenya almost 20 years ago. It's kind of weird after seeing thousands of gazelle and impala, all of a sudden some of the "impala" get up on their hind feet and start eating from the higher branches.

 

[stsinner]

Wow.. I've never seen those before. They are so muscular! And that torso thing is a trip.

They also have very neat faces and horns. They look like they're optimized for running.

 

[KvnO]

Mommy, where do gerenuks come from?

Well, when a giraffe and an impala love each other very much...