#KeWildlife – Story 11

There was a time when giraffes had short necks. It was normal of course for them to look that way because their spots made them beautiful.

On one sunny afternoon, three giraffes were playing in a place with many tall trees. One of the three decided to get up to a branch to view the landscape, but because his neck was too short, he couldn’t. He asked his playmates “Why don’t you hoist me up so that I can see the world from the top of the tree?”

Although his friends were skeptical about helping their friend with his risky idea, they helped him nonetheless. One giraffe lifted the second giraffe, who then lifted the other giraffe. He got to the top and saw all the trees that were in his view, but before he could fully enjoy the scenery, the giraffe on the ground lost her balance and fell. The second giraffe, with no support, fell as well but the third who was at the tree top didn’t fall. Instead his neck got stuck between branches.

He started to cry for the pain was unbearable. The others, unsure of what to do, went to get help.

By sundown, the giraffe was still stuck between the branches as more giraffes gathered around to see the commotion.

“We must help him. We cannot leave him up there!” suggested one giraffe. All the others present agreed. In a great community effort, one giraffe held up another and the rest pulled at the tails of the ones in front of them. Soon, the group looked like an enormous snake of giraffes.

There was minimal signs of success but unbeknownst to them, as they pulled, the giraffe’s (stuck in the branches) neck got longer and longer and longer. They only noticed when he was finally on the ground.
The young giraffe looked odd, but he was taller than the rest – and could eat the green leaves on the branches. In an amazing twist, some giraffes followed suit, only this time they purposely got stuck so that the same procedure would be applied on them. Barely a fortnight later, all the giraffe had long necks and could wander around enjoying the green leaves and the landscape of their land.

There are presently three of nine subspecies of giraffes in East Africa: Reticulated Giraffe – also known as Somali Giraffe, Rothschild Giraffe and Maasai Giraffe. Giraffes are probably the most lovable of the wildlife species. They are often friendly and enjoy being fed at various parks and centres within Kenya. And although the story says that they once looked different, we certainly cannot imagine a giraffe with a short neck. Can you?