Wildlife

Giraffes Found to Hum at Night

It seems that giraffes are not as voiceless as previously thought, and have been observed humming in the night as a possible form of communication when their vision is limited.

Many wildlife experts have thought the animals’ necks are too long for them to be able to vocalize.

But analysis of sound recordings of giraffe habitats at three European zoos revealed the stately animals occasionally emit a low-frequency sound at about 92 hertz — barely within the range of human hearing.

“I was fascinated because these signals have a very interesting sound and have a complex acoustic structure,” said University of Vienna researcher Angela Stöger, who identified the giraffes as the sources of the hums.

But since she wasn’t able to see the animals at the time of the sounds, she doesn’t know if they were even awake, or what might have been the motivation for the sounds.