At dusk giraffe gather in sheltered locations to prepare for the night. Most of the group will lay day and sleep for a few hours while one or two group members stay alert to watch out for predators. Giraffe’s nocturnal behavior is structured to benefit their community.

Wild giraffe populations are declining due to human development, political unrest, habitat loss, and poaching. We have the responsibility to conserve their habitat. As we learn about their complex social systems the responsibility is even more fundamental. The recent article published in Ecology and Evolution outlines the current studies of giraffe’s nocturnal behavior patterns hoping to provide guidance to human behavior towards wildlife.

Burger, A.L., Fennessy, J., Fennessy, S., & Dierkes, P.W. (Feb. 2020) Nightly selection of resting sites and group behavior reveal antipredator strategies in giraffe. Ecology and Evolution, 10(6), 2917–2927.

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6106

Angolan Giraffe in Etosha N.P. near Dolomite Lodge