To me, the giraffe is comparable to a crudely made "crazy quilt". The pieces are all there, but they don't fit exactly as they should.
When my children were small we played a game called,"What's your favorite animal, food, etc." When it was my turn to answer, I would say "giraffe" for favorite animal. It never failed that someone would say, "Giraffe, why do you like them so much?" and I would tell them the story about giraffes.
Lisa, my oldest daughter, really listened to the story. Through out the years she has brought me several stuffed giraffes and this year for Christmas I received a beautiful picture of a mother giraffe and a baby. It started me thinking about the story again. In fact, it has run in and out of my mind for 4 days. I tried to find the short story on line, but couldn't. I researched giraffes, to see if what I remember was right. Once again, I was amazed at their luck in surviving.
I am prone to think that when God created giraffes and people He was showing us his sense of humor. Technically, neither of us should be alive, and yet we are. And we are thriving--go figure.
The lion is the natural enemy of the giraffe. People on the other hand, have enemies everywhere they turn. Not only do we battle each other, we have predators in the mountains, deserts and oceans.. And yet we have made these areas, our playgrounds and our homes. I think God smiles at this---alot.
The giraffe is a mixture of body parts,that technically should not work together--but do. They are the tallest animals in the world,ranging from 14 to 18 feet. They weigh around 2,000 pounds. Their front legs are shorter than their back legs. This makes it impossible for the animal to run normally. They lope when they need to escape. Or they hop and jump but never run---it is an impossibility .
Their necks, which make up the bulk of their body are too short to reach the ground!!! As a result, the giraffe has to either spread its legs or kneels down on it's knees to drink water. At that moment, he is completely defenseless. Nothing could save him if attacked. Unless, another giraffe happened to be nearby and kicked the predator. A giraffe's hooves can decapitate a lion if given the opportunity.
Giraffes eat acacia leaves--about 75 pounds of leaves a day. These leaves supply both water and nutrients. The tail of the giraffe is 8 feet long. Making it the longest of any mammal.
Their hearts beat at a rate of 170 beats a minute. Their blood pressure is usually 280/180. It is the highest of any animal. When chased by predators they will die of heart attacks.
As for sleeping, they seldom sleep more than five minutes at a time. A good days sleep is 4 hours. They also have no tear ducts, but have been seen crying.
Although giraffes are a quiet animal, they do make noises.They have been heard making a whistling sound, a mooing sound and a few times roaring. They travel in herds for safety. When a baby giraffe is born, he falls 6 feet to the ground. The young one starts nursing about an hour after birth. (Probably after he regains consciousness)
All in all, the giraffe is an oddity. He was placed on one of the fiercest continents, with little self protection, and a ton of liabilities and yet he lives. The giraffe is not on an "endangered species" list either. Why?? I really don't know. He has learned to adapt in a rough environment by making the most of what he possesses.
Mankind could learn a thing or two from the giraffe. Was God laughing when he made the giraffe--or was He showing off.?? Did He say to the giraffe "go forth and multiply--kick you heals up--have a good life no matter where you are--beat the odds!!!" Maybe.
When it came to mankind, I believe God said about the same thing to us that he did to giraffes. We are both oddities, both beat the odds daily. We usually rely on our "herds" for comfort and protection. And Lord knows we do like to kick up our heels!!
Have we both made God laugh? I think so......but mostly I think He smiles and says "I knew they could do it"
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