I am usually pretty good about remembering to take my camera when going on an outing with the kids, especially when we’re headed somewhere that may be ripe for a photo op. Today, however, I was in such a rush that I forgot the camera. I figured, "Hey, it’s just the zoo. What could happen?" Granted it has been a few months since we’ve been, but it’s not like we haven’t been there a million times before. Part of me wished I had my camera to capture and share with you what we witnessed. Truly more for your sake than mine, simply because I think only a picture could truly do it justice.
We got there just in time to watch the male giraffe "stalk" his female counterpart before deciding to mount her and make a woman of her. I do realize that giraffes have sex. I mean how else would we get baby giraffes. But, to be honest I just never really thought about it, let alone visualized what that might look like. I never spent any time contemplating the specifics of how such an act would be accomplished. For the record, let’s just say I saw more than enough to last a lifetime. I’ll spare you the play by play and leave it at that. I am pretty sure that every person who was in the zoo at that time was standing in front of the giraffes watching with a morbid fascination. It was almost as if there was some type of gravitational pull.
My daughter kept asking why the one giraffe was climbing on the other. "He’s hurting her" she insisted. My son then felt the need to chime in with a never-ending chorus of "Ouch, bad. Ouch, bad." Despite my attempts to explain that the giraffes were simply playing with one another, my daughter wanted to know why they played like that and why the "bad" giraffe wouldn’t leave the "good" giraffe alone. She kept saying, "She doesn’t want to play like that." (And yes, I did usher them away from the giraffes and toward the polar bears…who thankfully were not mating).
What I want to know, though, is why every time I take the kids to the zoo we get a firsthand demonstration on the finer points of animal reproduction. The last time we visited, approximately 6 months ago, the sun bears were putting on a show of their own.
What's next? The elephants?
4 comments:
That's so funny! Amorous giraffes - that must have been a sight to see.
whenever my cousin goes to the San Diego zoo there's a Tapir who always seems very happy to see her and loves to show her a part of his anatomy not normally seen unless aroused.
Hilarious. "Ouch, bad." You and Nancy's cousin have something in common. Cute post.
Thanks ladies. I thought it was pretty funny too. Nancy, that is so funny about your cousin. She must feel special. :) I wonder if he does that to all the ladies..haha.
This made me laugh out loud so hard that my husband came to check on me. I can say for certain that I have never seen giraffes mate.
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