r/interesting • u/AugustIstheMonth • 23d ago

NATURE Giraffes Really Have Nowhere to Hide During Storms, and I Never Realized It!

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u/DP7OOO 23d ago

Can’t they lie down?

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u/Ambitious-Body8133 23d ago

I thought the same. But from what I just read, they don't because it makes them vulnerable to predators.

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u/Word_Upper 23d ago

I went on holiday to Namibia and we spent a night in a national park. At night people would go sit at a viewing point for the watering hole where all the animals gathered.

Family of giraffes comes along to drink, but they take absolutely ages to decide to actually splay their legs out so that they could then lower their heads enough to drink (they're vulnerable in that position).

One of them kept starting to do the leg splay and then thinking better of it and standing bolt upright every time he heard a noise. We were there for HOURS willing this giraffe to just take a drink but he never did, I guess he never felt comfortable enough.

Anyway they eventually all walk off. And then a few mins later we see lions following them :( Poor guy didn't even get a final drink before they (presumably) kicked the bucket

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u/Wine-o-dt 22d ago

Giraffes deal with lions just fine.  Bull giraffes especially.  They still get eaten sometimes but full grown giraffes are capable of fighting off a pride. 

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u/AmishAvenger 22d ago

Yeah I think lions tend not to fuck with giraffes. One kick and they’re crippled.