The lightning is known to choose mostly tall objects to strike. Giraffes are the tallest animals who live in open spaces of savannas. It is reasonable to suppose that, during storms, they can be affected by lightning strikes.
n February 2020, there was an incident in the African natural reserve "Rockwood". It was thoroughly studied and its results were published in the African Journal of Ecology. After the storm, the bodies of two giraffes were found in an open terrain. A hole from the lightning strike was found on the head of one of them. Most likely, the lightning strike occurred to the giraffe's ossicone (horn-like growth on the head). The second animal was shocked by the step voltage.
Thus, the evolution, by giving giraffes an opportunity to eat fresh green leaves, has created a hidden danger for them, i.e. lightning strikes.
Let us remind you that in 2019, together with our partners, we implemented a project for lightning protection of the Moscow Zoo. Follow link for more details.
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