James Ernest, age 8, of Hopewell, Virginia, for his question:

How does the giraffe defend himself?

The giraffe shares the wide plains of Africa with lions and a lot of other hungry meat¬-eaters. If he could not defend himself, he would not survive. But the lion hardly ever gets near him. Even the speedy cheetah has a hard time catching him. Mr. Giraffe may stand 19 feet tall and this gives him a wide view of danger coming from afar. Those big, gentle eyes of his are sharp as well as beautiful. They can spot a distant stirring in the grass that may be a prowling lion or a crouching cheetah. Then he may move out of sight behind one of his favorite spreading acacia trees. But more likely he signals his browsing family and off they go at a gallop.

If by chance, he is caught unawares and attacked, Mr. Skyscraper still can defend him¬ self. His legs are long and strong. His front hooves are hard and heavy. He fights by kicking his enemy with deadly blows. The tall animal has to spread his front legs to drink and sometimes a lion may sneak up on him at a water hole. But not many giraffes are slain by their natural enemies. The big, beautiful creature, however, is defenseless against gunfire. In parts of Africa, all the giraffes have been wired out by Man the Hunter.