This is my first comment since joining, so please keep that in mind. The image fulfills the theme, but I wonder if it is you best image of the giraffe. Have you explored various way to crop the image?...but maybe you don't believe in cropping. I think the animal could be placed in context..even some detail to the sky would help. I think Giraffes have blue tongues...that would be a dramatic addition. Keep shooting!

Really a good image. I think the flash creates an odd effect, but I'm not convinced that's a negative thing in this case.

I really like where you were going with this. A few things that could have improved it, would be a vertical composition that includes more of the giraffe and emphasizes that long neck. It looks like you used a flash, and the lighting is a bit harsh. Try diffusing the flash for softer light.