It’s now ten years since I dressed as a giraffe and eight years since I first visited the Serengeti. Of all the giraffe sounds I had made and heard from others, the simple truth was something else: silence. Quite apart from the brilliant fact that he counted his age by the number of rainy seasons, the answer was so obvious I felt stupid. “I’ve been here for over 70 rains and I have never heard a giraffe. This was his reply to my question, what sound does a giraffe make. I had my confirmation from an old Masai tribesman in Ngorongoro a few hours later. To this day I am certain that this giraffe winked at me (although one week in the Serengeti wilderness did detach me from everyday reality). A dazzling giraffe crossed the trail in front of me and met my eye.

Every single guide made up a different sound, from clicks to chomps to question marks. Unable to get close enough I started asking different guides, but the answers came in similes and maybes. And I just couldn’t get close enough to hear them. Maybe I was paranoid but it seemed that the giants were watching me with suspicion. Every evening their poetic frames turned to silhouette against the setting sun. Giraffe were always visible upon the horizon. The Serengeti is an enormous place and vehicles must stay on the trails. For minor indiscretions I would take an earful from my mother, but I was always in big trouble when she didn’t say a word. It felt like when I was a child and had done something wrong.

The world’s tallest animals turned slowly and silently, giving me a stare of utter contempt before loping off into the trees. The following day the guide was so lost in his phone he almost trampled a giraffe tower. We broke down besides a pride of lions which cost one day. Unfortunately, I was on a strict budget and the tour guide was useless. I even purchased a handheld audio recorder for the journey. There I would find the great wildebeest migration, and, along the way, record the sounds of giraffe. The wildlife truth can never be found in a zoo so I set my eyes on the Serengeti. Searching for Giraffe Sounds on the Serengeti I was even told that giraffe sound like a hiccuping horse crossed with a wallowing pig.Įverybody knows the sound a lion makes, or the trumpeted sound created by an elephant. Every response was different, from baritone camel grunts to slurping baby noises. I asked all my friends what sound does a giraffe make. Amazingly, everyone believed that this was the sound a giraffe makes.įollowing the party I tested a hypothesis. At times I sounded like a constipated whale, a deranged kitten, a confused cow, or a horse on steroids. Unfortunately, the giraffe was always on mute, replaced by the soothing sounds of David Attenborough’s narration.Īt the party I made up a different giraffe sound for every person I met. So at an animal themed dress-up party my natural choice was a giraffe.īefore masquerading as a giant four-legged mammal I watched various giraffe-related wildlife documentaries. I come from a family who are politely considered vertically challenged (or usually just short arses when we’re not in earshot). I only know the sound a giraffe makes because I spent an entire week in Serengeti National Park, following the long-necked giants with my audio recorder. Why? I won’t tell you just yet, because that would give away the giraffe secret. It’s a funny game to play at any party, because even people who have been on many safaris are unable to simulate a giraffe sound. Perhaps a grunt like their camel cousins? Maybe something similar to horse?Īsk any friend or family member and they will give you a different answer.

Sound that a giraffe makes