Kinky Detail of Giraffes' Sexual Behavior Revealed in New Study

The authors of the new research witnessed the giraffes' behavior while visiting the Etosha National Park in Namibia.

A study conducted by researchers from the University of California, Davis sheds new light on a peculiar aspect of giraffes’ sex life.

Since giraffes do not go into heat and do not give visual cues pointing at sexual readiness, a giraffe male has to jump through certain hoops in order to determine whether a female is receptive to his advances.

Specifically, a male has to taste a female’s urine to check it for pheromones, but giraffe’s anatomy makes lowering their necks all the way to the ground, where urine usually ends up, a risky proposition.

“They don’t risk going all the way to the ground because of the extreme development of their head and neck,” said Lynette Hart, professor of population health and reproduction at the UC Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine and lead author of the study. “So they have to nudge the female, effectively saying, ‘Please urinate now.’ And often she will. He has to elicit her cooperation. If not, he’ll know there’s no future for him with her.”

According to a press release issued by the university, Lynette Hart and Benjamin Hart, professor emeritus with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Lynette’s husband and co-author, observed the giraffes’ behavior during research trips to the Etosha National Park in Namibia, where they witnessed these animals gathering around watering holes.

“This is part of their reproductive behavior,” Benjamin Hart said as quoted in the release. “This adds to our understanding of what giraffes are doing as they accumulate around a water hole. People love watching giraffes. I think the more the public understands about them, the more interested they’ll be in their conservation.”