When I was six years old I won the school district's art competion for my "Giraffe in Crayon". They have always been one of my favorite species, a life long fixation originally fueled by watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom every Sunday afternoon.

In African myth the giraffe is a symbol of strength. They have the same number of vertebrae as humans but are 8-10 feet taller. If they lie down to sleep they die, therefore the giraffe is the natural world's champion power napper, nodding off for five to ten minute intervals. I've been to some of the world's best zoos to be around these unique creatures; they may be common place in sub-Saharan Africa, but for me the knowledge that I would see my favorite animal everyday was a Wild Kingdom dream come true. This pair of reticulated beauties call the Mkhaya Game Reserve home in Swaziland. What I would give for a pair of those eyelashes so I could permanently put away my tube of mascara.