Sivatherium ("Shiva's beast") is an extinct genus of giraffid that ranged throughout Africa to the Indian Subcontinent.
Sivatherium giganteum remains have been recovered from the Himalayan foothills, dating around 1 million years ago.
The species Sivatherium giganteum is the largest giraffid known, and also possibly the largest ruminant of all time.
Sivatherium maurusium may have gone extinct as recently as 8,000 years ago, as depictions that greatly resemble it are known from ancient rock paintings in the Sahara and Central West India.
Sivatherium resembled the modern okapi, but was far larger, and more heavily built.
It was about 2.2 m (7.2 ft) tall at the shoulder, 3 m (9.8 ft) in total height.
The weight has been estimated body mass of about 1,250 kg (2,760 lb). This would make Sivatherium the largest ruminant in history.
Sivatherium had a wide, antler-like pair of ossicones on its head, and a second pair of ossicones above its eyes.
Its shoulders were very powerful to support the neck muscles required to lift the heavy skull.
The reasons behind Sivatherium extinction are still unknown as very little fossil and related data is known yet.
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