You’ve probably been to a zoo or seen a nature documentary where the lions roar, the elephants trumpet, and the monkeys scream. But what about the tallest animal on the planet? If you’re standing at the giraffe enclosure, it’s usually dead silent. Most of us grew up thinking these long-necked giants were basically mute. For decades, even the scientific community sort of shrugged and assumed that because giraffes have such long necks, they couldn't generate enough airflow to make a decent sound. It makes sense, right? Trying to push air up an eight-foot neck sounds like trying to blow a whistle through a garden hose.
But honestly, the idea that they are silent is a total myth.
The question of do giraffes make noise has a fascinating, slightly eerie answer. They aren't quiet because they can't speak; they’re quiet because they’re talking in a way that we simply aren't tuned into. Recent research has completely flipped the script on their "silent" reputation.
The Secret Midnight Hum
For a long time, the best answer we had for "how do giraffes communicate?" was that they used infrasound. This is low-frequency sound below the range of human hearing, much like what elephants use to talk over miles of savanna. It seemed like a perfect fit. If we couldn't hear them, they must be vibrating at a frequency our ears can't pick up.
However, a massive study changed everything. Biologist Angela Stöger and her team at the University of Vienna spent years recording giraffes across three European zoos. They collected over 900 hours of audio data. What they found wasn't just infrasonic pulses. They discovered that giraffes actually make a low-frequency "humming" sound, but they mostly do it at night.
It’s a weird, rhythmic drone. Imagine a monk chanting or a very distant, low-octave beehive.
The hums were found to be around 92 Hertz. That is actually audible to humans, but it’s so low and happens so infrequently during the day that we basically missed it for a century. This discovery suggests that giraffes aren't just silent bystanders in the animal kingdom. They have a complex acoustic world that only awakens when the sun goes down and visual communication becomes difficult.
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Do Giraffes Make Noise During the Day?
While the humming is the most "structured" sound they make, it’s not the only one. If you’ve spent enough time around them—or talked to zookeepers who practically live with them—you’ll hear a whole variety of snorts and bursts.
Giraffes do make noise when they are stressed or annoyed.
- Snorting: This is common. If a giraffe feels threatened or startled, it will blow air out of its nostrils sharply. It sounds like a forceful sneeze.
- Grunting: Male giraffes often grunt when they are competing for a female or during a "necking" battle where they swing their heads like sledgehammers.
- Blowing: This is a soft, alarm-like sound.
- Hissing: Some observers have reported a distinct hissing sound, though this is rarer and usually linked to extreme distress.
Calves are the loudest of the bunch. Because they are vulnerable to predators like lions and hyenas, they don't have the luxury of being "cool and silent." A baby giraffe will let out a bleat—kind of like a calf or a lamb—to call for its mother. It’s a desperate, high-pitched "mew" that cuts through the air. Once they grow up, they seemingly trade those loud calls for the subtle, mysterious humming of adulthood.
The Physicality of the Giraffe Voice
Why is it so hard for them?
Physiology plays a huge role. To understand why do giraffes make noise so rarely, you have to look at their anatomy. A giraffe’s trachea is incredibly long—up to 8 feet in a full-grown bull. To produce a loud, sustained vocalization, an animal needs to move a significant volume of air past the vocal cords with enough pressure to create vibration.
While they do have a larynx (voice box), some researchers previously argued that it was too small or lacked the muscular power to vibrate that much air. It turns out they can do it, but it likely requires a massive amount of physical effort. Imagine trying to fill a giant balloon through a tiny straw. You'd be exhausted. For a giraffe, silence might just be a way to conserve energy.
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There is also the "visual" factor. Giraffes have incredible eyesight. They are the towers of the savanna. Because they can see each other from miles away, they might not need to shout. They use body language, ear positions, and subtle movements to communicate during the day. Sound is their backup plan, not their primary tool.
What the Humming Actually Means
The Vienna study was a breakthrough, but it left us with a lot of "whys." Why hum at night?
One theory is that the hum acts as a "contact call." In the pitch black of the African night, even a giraffe can’t see its herd mates. The low-frequency hum might be a way of saying, "I'm over here, are you still there?" without attracting the attention of predators. Low-frequency sounds travel better over distances and through obstacles than high-pitched ones.
It’s also possible these hums are involuntary. Some researchers have wondered if they are basically the giraffe version of snoring or a byproduct of "rumination" (digesting food). However, the complexity and timing of the recordings suggest it’s an intentional form of social bonding. The hums have different durations and structures. It's a language. We just haven't learned the vocabulary yet.
Breaking the "Mute" Myth
If you search old textbooks, you'll see giraffes listed as one of the few mute mammals. We know now that's just wrong. Even the famous naturalist Charles Darwin was skeptical of the idea that they were totally silent.
Actually, the fact that we thought they were silent for so long says more about human observation than it does about the animal. We tend to value sounds that are loud, obvious, and within our comfort zone. Because giraffes are stoic and their sounds are subtle, we ignored them.
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Next time you see a giraffe, don't just look at the spots. Think about the fact that inside that massive neck is a vocal system capable of producing a haunting, low-frequency song that scientists are only just beginning to map out. They aren't silent; they’re just private.
Practical Steps for Wildlife Enthusiasts
If you want to experience the "vocal" side of these animals or help contribute to our understanding of them, there are a few things you can do.
1. Visit a Sanctuary or Zoo at Quiet Hours
Most daytime zoo environments are too loud for you to hear a giraffe. If you have the chance to attend an "after-hours" event or a "twilight tour," pay close attention. Listen for the snorts or the subtle "whoosh" of air. You won't hear the hum—it's usually too low and the ambient city noise drowns it out—but you’ll see the physical effort of their breathing.
2. Support Acoustic Research
Organizations like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) work on protecting these animals in the wild. Much of the new data on giraffe sound comes from bioacoustic monitoring. By supporting these groups, you’re helping fund the deployment of remote microphones in the wild that can capture these nocturnal hums in their natural habitat.
3. Watch for "Necking" Behavior
If you’re watching a documentary or on a safari, watch for two males fighting. This is the most likely time you will hear a grunt or a heavy blow of air. It’s a physical, violent display, and the sounds associated with it are the most human-audible noises they make.
4. Check Out Professional Audio Archives
Search for the University of Vienna's giraffe recordings. Hearing the actual hum for the first time is a bit of a "mind-blown" moment. It sounds less like an animal and more like a piece of electronic ambient music.
The mystery of how giraffes talk is a reminder that there is still so much we don't know about the natural world. Sometimes, the most interesting things are happening right in front of us—or right above us—at a frequency we just haven't learned to appreciate yet.