First Moments Of A Baby Giraffe

The young can fall prey to lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and wild dogs. Mother giraffes will defend their young by placing themselves between the young and the predator and kicking the predator. Giraffes only defend their own young and form calving herds for selfish reasons. Only 25 to 50% of giraffe calves reach adulthood. Maximum lifespan is ~25 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity.
Necking
Male giraffes often engage in necking, which has been described as having various functions. One of these is combat. Battles can be fatal, but are more often less severe, generally ending when one giraffe surrenders to the other. The longer the neck, and the heavier the head at the end of the neck, the greater the force a giraffe is able to deliver in a blow. It has also been observed that males that are successful in necking have greater access to estrous females, so the length of the neck may be a product of sexual selection.