Giraffe spend up to 75% of their day eating. They are browsers and eat a variety of leaves, herbs, flowers and fruit. Acacia leaves form the bulk of their diet, but they do eat over 30 kbs a day, from 100 different plant species. They only need to drink every two or three days as they take in most of the moisture they need from leaves. They sleep for short periods of up to two hours at night, similar to elephants.

Giraffe are quiet animals, making a variety of noises: mothers bellow to their young, males emit coughs during courtship and calves snort, bleat and mew. They snore, hiss, grunt and make flute-like sounds and are thought to communicate over long distances using infra-sound, humming at night to each other.

Male giraffe perform a ritualised sparring called ‘necking’ to test their strength which determines hierarchical status. Contestants swing their necks at each other, striking body blows with their head – arching their necks and taking it in turn to try and hit their opponent. They then ‘square off’ against each other, tail to tail whilst entwining their necks. ‘Necking’ by young males can last for some time, as they pause standing motionless, or nibble on leaves, before continuing their duel. The winner often lifts his nose in the air trying to make himself look taller than his opponent. A serious fight between a dominant bull and a unknown adult male is often brief and very violent. Their heavy heads and long necks can deliver staggering blows. Usually the loser will walk away after a short duel, but winners have been known to knock their opponent unconscious!

Lion, leopard, African wild dog and hyenas prey on young giraffe, with only 25 – 50% reaching maturity.