Visitors Capture Giraffes Engaging in "Necking" at the Zoo

Giraffes' distinctive way of fighting has drawn the attention of tourists. Their long necks, which have evolved not only to reach high branches but also as a symbol of strength, are used to engage in necking matches to establish dominance and mating rights. Recently, a video of two giraffes fighting at the Red Mountain Zoo in Jiangsu, China, has gone viral, showing them entwining their necks and using their ossicones to butt heads.

In the video, the two giraffes are seen inside an enclosure, swinging their long necks at each other while using their horn-like protrusions on their heads to clash. Although their movements appear slow, the force behind them is considerable, with each side refusing to yield. This rare sight has attracted many visitors, who stopped to record the scene with their phones. The video quickly spread on social media, and many media outlets covered the story.

Many viewers were seeing this behavior for the first time and expressed their amazement, commenting, "This is truly 'free necking,'" "They're so polite, waiting for the other to finish before striking back," "It's worth the ticket price," "I'm worried they might get neck strain when they sleep," "It looks like they're drunk," and "Animals always want to perform." Typically, visitors expect to see animals in more static poses at zoos, but witnessing this impromptu performance by the giraffes was a treat.