The giraffe is the African safari animal recognized by the black, brush-like tuft at the end of its tail.
A giraffe’s tail ends in a dark tuft of coarse hair that helps swat flies and other biting insects from its hindquarters. The tail is long enough to reach vulnerable areas that the animal cannot easily groom with its mouth or legs.
Giraffes also use their tails in communication and may flick or position them when alert. Their height gives them a broad view over savanna vegetation, but it does not protect them from insects, which are common around water sources and browsing areas.
The tail tuft is different from the animal’s mane, which runs along the neck and is made of short, upright hairs. It is also unrelated to the giraffe’s ossicones, the paired structures on its head.