Here’s the deal.
A giraffe
Doesn’t want to
Be a meal.
But the trees
In the savannah
Can’t begin
To conceal
This extraordinary
Animal
Whose stature
Is unreal.
If a cackle of
Hyenas should happen
To steal
Across the
Savannah,
Then it
Would be ideal
If this giraffe were
Wide awake
So she can try
To make
A break.
A tiny nap is all
she’ll take.
More would be
A big mistake.
GIRAFFES
On average, giraffes sleep about four and half hours a night, with each nap lasting between five and eleven minutes. There are a couple reasons they must remain constantly alert. The savannahs, where the giraffes often live, are open grasslands with trees that cannot conceal them. Also, once giraffes are lying down, it takes them a very long time to stand up again, which means they could become the next meal for a hungry lion or a group of hyenas. While the most common sleeping position for an adult giraffe is standing up fully, they sometimes rest their heads on their rumps or lie down for a few minutes and sleep, often with one eye open. Because they are protected by their parents, baby giraffes can afford to lie down and sleep curled up like a pretzel.