Is It Permitted to Eat a Giraffe?

Shalom uvrakhah,

In principle, a giraffe has all the signs of kosher animals, since it chews its cud and has split hooves. In any case, the common practice is to refrain from eating a giraffe.

It is commonly said that the reason for this prohibition is that the giraffe has a very long neck and it is not known where to slaughter it, but this is not correct, since according to halacha (see Mishnah, tractate Chullin 19b), the entire neck of an animal is fit for slaughter.

Rather, apparently the reason is that there is no received tradition from one person to another that the giraffe is indeed permitted for consumption, and the view of several poskim (Shakh, Yoreh Deah, siman 80, s.k. 1; Chokhmat Adam, klal 36, seif 1; and Chazon Ish, Yoreh Deah, siman 11, ot 4) is that with a wild animal as well, it is not enough that it have the signs of kashrut; in addition, there must be a tradition that it is an edible animal.

However, there are opinions among the poskim (Pri Megadim, Yoreh Deah, siman 80, in Shiftei Daat, s.k. 1; and Kaf HaChayim, s.k. 5) that the signs of kashrut are sufficient to permit a wild animal for consumption, and there is no need for a tradition as well. According to these opinions, there is apparently no halachic impediment to eating a giraffe. But in any case, this is not practical in our time, since it is a protected animal.

See also what was written about this in Shut Rashban, part 2 (siman 64), in Shut Teshuvot VeHanhagot, part 5 (siman 11), in Shut Veshav Verafa, part 3 (siman 111), in Shut HaRishon LeTzion, part 2 (Yoreh Deah, siman 1), in Yalkut Yosef, Isur VeHeter, part 2 (pages 343-347), and in Shulchan Aruch HaMekutzar, part 4 (siman 134, note 6).

With blessings,

Hillel Meirs