Watch: Giraffe gives birth, baby takes first steps
Giraffes give birth while standing, which means a calf drops to the ground from about 1.8m! While scary to watch, this process helps the calf take its first breath and get its blood flowing.
Johan van Zyl from Wild Eye had a front-row seat to the miracle of life when he captured footage of a giraffe giving birth.
Van Zyl shared his footage and story with Latestsightings.com.
He says they spotted a female giraffe while out on a game drive and could instantly tell that something was different about her.
“Her body language and movement were not normal. As we approached, we discovered that she was in the process of giving birth – something that is not often seen, let alone caught on camera.
“We watched her for a while, giving her space and not adding any extra stress. This is important, as female giraffes are extremely vulnerable when giving birth. They are not able to defend themselves during this process. Thus, they are under a lot of stress, not only for their safety but also for the safety of their newborn.”
The process took between 45 minutes to an hour.
