The highest ground creatures presented a scientist with a surprise. In the 1990s, giraffes were considered not forming constant connections interacting with each other randomly. In the 2000s, the status changed to “socially alienated”-scientists saw that the giraffes adhere to a herd lifestyle, but did not understand by what principle they were united. Recent studies of the Bristol University of Zoya Müller showed – the social life of giraffes, in fact, is very complicated and saturated.
A breakthrough in the study of these animals occurred due to the appearance of cheap action cameras, which made it possible to collect many materials about their life. It turned out that the giraffes adhere to a three -stage matriarchy, when a couple of older females form the backbone of the family, their daughters give birth to cubs and then the whole herd is engaged in their upbringing. Cubs can remain with their mother under 15 years of age, but males are expelled in adolescence – they will live on their own, and only sometimes invite them to a flock for mating with grown females.
Such a way is dictated by the fact that giraffes live up to 30 years, but the reproductive function ends at 20 years. A whole third of the life of females takes place in conditions when they have a lot of strength, but no longer children – they become “grandmothers”. This is a well -known phenomenon that is found in a variety of animals. Where the oldest generation can take part in raising cubs, complex and effective social ties are formed in the tribe.
Elephants, whales and chimpanzees have similar social communities – here matriarchy gives perfect chances of feeding and educating the smallest individuals. The female giraffe will easily take the custody of her friend’s cub, if she is busy or died. And unlike lion or monkey pride, they do not need a powerful male-wound, because there is no intraspecific battle for resources-giraffes are able to get together peacefully.
Source — Mammal Review