Have a soft spot for the animal kingdom's gangly, long-necked mammal? Same. Each year, World Giraffe Day celebrates the planet's tallest mammal on the longest day of the year (get it?), summer solstice. This year, that day is Wednesday, June 21.
As a tribute to our towering and irresistibly adorable furry friends, we decided to showcase some of Los Angeles' cutest resident giraffes on Instagram. From the L.A. Zoo (read: you can get up close and personal and hand-feed the giraffes at 11a.m. and 2:30p.m. daily) to the Malibu Wine Safari, your favorite animal is just a short drive away.
World Giraffe Day, initiated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, is an effort to raise global awareness and support for these animals in the wild, which were recently listed as Vulnerable to Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. According to the GCF, there's roughly only 100,000 giraffes remaining in all of Africa, and Masai giraffe specifically have dropped in numbers by more than half in the last 30 years. This year, GCF is teaming up with the Kenya-Tanzania Borderland Conservation Initiative, the Kenya Wildlife Service and others to help conserve and support Masai giraffe in East Africa.
Want to support the cause? Find out more details and how you can help online. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy some super cute Instagram posts.