Giraffes do it Bollywood style

What a song and dance routine! Giraffes were jumping out from behind trees and bushes all over the show. In real Bollywood-style, black tufted horns popped up above treetops and supple long necks slid out from behind thick tree trunks. It was such an elegantly choreographed parade, that I was expecting them to burst into a happy song at any moment.

Their necks glistened with light and dark patches, almost as if they were displaying shiny jewellery, and the rhythmical swaying of their long slender legs and necks told a story of grace and regality.

At first there were three. They were as light and playful as prima-ballerinas floating effortlessly from tree to tree, with delicate steps right past my deck.

Then another six came sauntering by. Some of them were much darker, and I branded them as males…purely because they walked with much less finesse.

They were all making their way to the dam about 100m from our house. The next minute a late-comer came thundering by. Nothing looks more uneasy than a giraffe running. His hind legs seem to overtake his front legs while his neck tips back and forth like the mast of a ship in stormy seas. How he stays upright is a miracle!

Along the way his powerful neck broke some branches of trees. Just when I think he might get stuck, I hear a cracking sound… and he opens a path before him.

I never really realized how powerful they are. I’ve always thought of them as sweet and gentle creatures with the most beautiful dainty and delicate race-horse legs. I must have been enchanted by those long and lush fluttering eyelashes!