Giraffes

No doubt 'Giraffes' seems like an unlikely subject for a blog post but while I was browsing my pictures looking for the best ten from 2011, I came across a couple of giraffe pictures that I would have included had we been able to submit more than ten but since we couldn't I decided to write a post about them instead. Then I remembered another interesting incident involving giraffes and I thought about all the interesting observations I'd made about them over the years and decided to just write it all out - complete with pictures.

Here we go:

The first giraffe that I photographed was in a drive-through zoo not too far from Branson, Mo. I was so proud of this picture because it was as close to a close up as I'd ever gotten. (Of course, I could hardly miss since he was right there in our faces.)

That's the top of the car window above his head. He was so friendly and curious!

The next time we really watched giraffes was with our son, Dan, and his family at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. It was such a nice herd and they were so gentle and lovely. What we didn't know is that they were also innovative. They obviously found no reason to walk over to the water trough when there was perfectly good water right there where they stood.

Here's the lovely herd.

Here's the fountain:

Here's someone getting the innovative idea:

And then......drink up!

We had close encounters with giraffes again this past spring when we visited the Rocky Mountain Zoo near Colorado Springs again with Dan and his family. We found the giraffes here extra friendly. Notice they didn't even flinch when we stood under them or even held one of their legs.

Of course most of the giraffes at this zoo were actually real and they were actually pretty friendly. They let me get more giraffe close-ups:

And then they showed that they have really long tongues.

They were patient with anyone that wanted to give them a treat.

They chatted with Mr. Right and Dan.

They knew where the treats were even when they couldn't see them.

And they were rewarded.

But suddenly something got all their attention and I loved how every one of them was interested and curious.

The object of interest was a large tortoise being coaxed out of a wagon up to a higher level.

And then just as suddenly somebody must have said, 'okay break it up' and they went back to what they were doing.

All that took place within a span of about two minutes. I really like giraffes. In many ways I think they're a lot like humans. Except, of course, for that special drinking fountain thing.