The final hour of sunlight before the sun sets always fills me with anticipation. The golden light, the cooling air and the symphony of evening noises create a magical amphitheater setting the stage for whatever sighting you might come across.
More recently one specifically really took my breath away! With a full vehicle of guests, we were slowly heading toward the Sand River, the prospect of a cold beverage on the banks growing as the afternoon heat lingered. Just as we were nearing the river the sight of two massive bull giraffes locked in an intense fight, stopped us in our tracks.
A Surprising Encounter
As we watched in awe, the two bulls continued their powerful necking (the term given to their fighting technique) battle against the backdrop of the golden sunset. Standing either hip to hip or hip to foreleg male giraffe will swing their robustly built heads at one another with lethal intent. Each blow creates this loud thud making us all cringe in concern for what outcome may unfold. It was one of those moments that after a few details were shared I could simply sit back and let the stage take over. This was raw nature in action, an unmistakable display of strength and sheer will for dominance. With the sun sinking lower the scene became another vivid reminder of the fierce realities of the bushveld.
The Brutal Art of Necking
Giraffes’ heads, specifically the bulls, I often explain to guests resemble a battle axe or mace. The combination of the big powerful ossicones, the heavy weight of the skull and the middle ‘horn’ that starts to appear in more established mature bulls all serve to provide them with a serious weapon. The force of a solid blow is literally staggering and on the rare occasion can knock a bull down senseless. The heavier the skull and the wider the arc of the swing, the harder the giraffe can hit hence the older more mature bulls have an advantage over younger smaller up-and-coming bulls.
Strength and Strategy in the Wild
While the spectacle of these giraffes “necking” was impressive to witness, there was more to it than brute force. Like many animals giraffe bulls don’t always rely solely on their strength to win. Strategy plays a pivotal role in these battles. The more experienced bulls having been through many such fights often display a controlled and tactical approach. They position themselves to minimise the force of their opponent’s blows while maximising the impact of their own. By adjusting their stance or even changing the angle of their neck swing, these bulls can influence the trajectory of the fight. With that being said it’s important to add that not every dispute between bulls has to be settled with a series of dangerous blows to one another. Most bull giraffes have a clear understanding of their place within the male hierarchy.
A Unique Adaptation
The sighting gave a timely reminder that giraffes have evolved to use their long necks in ways that serve them beyond just feeding. This remarkable “necking” behaviour is an example of how evolution shapes creatures to adapt to their environment’s competitive demands. The neck’s length not only allows access to the tops of trees but also doubles as a specialised weapon for dominance contests making it an evolutionary marvel in more ways than one. Competition really does shape evolutionary adaptations!
A Hard-Fought Victory
After sitting in silence for at least ten minutes captivated by the spectacle unfolding before us, we watched as one of the bulls decided to turn tail and flee the scene leaving the victor bruised and battered but triumphant nonetheless. While we all had to wait a bit longer for that cold beverage a quick glance around the vehicle reassured me that everyone had been just as transfixed by this amazing sighting made even better by the beauty of the Londolozi bushveld. What an afternoon!
These two males were sizing each other up, are they even competitors. In order to assert their dominance over one another male giraffe engage in a form of combat known as necking. Standing aside each other, legs spread to form a more stable base, they take in turns swinging their necks around in the attempt to strike the opponent with the top to their head. Using their ossicone (horn-like protrusion) as the impact point they aim for the underbelly, chest or legs. The winner is decided when one either gives up and retreats, or is knocked off its feet. Proving that the most dominant possesses the stronger genes and is able to then mate with a female in heat.
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on Neck to Neck: A Giraffe Showdown in the Golden Hour