Re: how do elephants + giraffes get their vitamin B12?

Sue,

Thanks for the interesting question.  Animals that have rumens (cattle,
giraffes) or caecums (elephants, zebras) host synergistic bacteria, located
in the rumen/caecum respectively, that are able to synthesize
Cyanocobalamin, aka B12, from the trace mineral Cobalt, found in soils.
Therefore, they do not need to consume foodstuffs of animal origin to
maintain  the B12 required for normal physiological functions.