Have you ever seen a baby giraffe this cute?

So what makes baby giraffes so cute? Is it the huge eyes? The elegant eyelashes? The way they move in slow motion even whilst being playful?

All of the above. This picture was taken on my way home after a long day and the baby giraffe had me admiring him for quite some time. His playfulness, tiny spots and curiousness was something that seemed blessed only to me.

On a previous expedition, I had the privilege of encountering two baby giraffe being quite close with each other. Baby giraffe usually stay with the herd. If they are male they will at one point leave the herd or the females will drive him out so he will not deter nomadic males. Females usually stick together and are quite social. Here is a picture of two baby giraffe having a cuddle.

All baby animals are cute, but since giraffe are the tallest animals in the Kalahari, it gives them a uniqueness that none other can copy. They transfix you to observe the most elegant movements known to the entire animal kingdom.

However, giraffes can also be quite dangerous. They usually fight over females by using their long necks. Various predators have also met their doom at the hoof of a giraffe’s powerful back legs.

Giraffe have the same amount of vertebrae in their necks as humans, which is seven by the way. It’s difficult to imagine them fighting with these necks that have so little vertebrae! Despite their lack of vertebrae giraffe have extremely strong necks. Check out this video to see the evidence!

I think giraffe are born to be serene. They are actually born to survive which they do quite succussfully as little other animals in the Kalahari can compete with the giraffe’s long necks. They mostly eat shrubs and have long specialized tongues to help them cope with all the thorns.

The baby giraffe that inspired this blog post is male by the way and I have decided to name him Jannie. Jannie will continue to be a big part of this blog as we track his growth and journey throughout the Kalahari’s various challenges. God speed my friend!