Viral Video Shows How Giraffes Can’t Seek Shelter During Storms

Giraffes endured a heavy storm at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve yesterday. pic.twitter.com/fMPNObTEBF

— The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) February 8, 2026

If nothing else, a giraffe’s trademark would most likely be its impressive height. The creature stands as the world’s tallest mammal and can grow as tall as 19 feet. Their necks alone can stretch up to 6 feet, and newborn giraffes typically grow some 4 feet throughout their first year of life. Due to their height, though, a giraffe can sometimes be unwieldy, especially during a storm. A new viral video showcases exactly that, much to the internet’s distress.

In the clip, a herd of giraffes stands amid a violent storm at Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve, their necks slightly bent as the rain whips around them. The footage clearly illustrates that, due to how tall they are, giraffes are often unable to seek shelter during bad weather. The scene has provoked strong reactions throughout social media, including a TikTok video of a woman whose cheeks are running with tears.

“I just found out that giraffes are too tall and they don’t have anywhere to go when it rains and when it storms,” she said. “They just have to stand there. They’re taller than most trees, so they can’t even seek shelter from those. As if being a giraffe wasn’t hard enough.”

Boasting more than 8 million likes, it’s clear that the video struck a chord with countless others. “They are so innocent,” one user commented, while another wondered, “How do we send them umbrellas?”

Luckily, giraffes are actually safe when weathering storms. According to Renae Moss, a senior giraffe keeper at Taronga Zoo in Mosman, Australia, sitting would in fact be more dangerous than standing, considering that it “takes several seconds for them to get back on their feet.”

“Sitting in the rain would be even riskier, as the sound of rainfall could mask the approach of predators,” Moss says. “In addition, rising from wet, muddy ground would be more difficult and slippery.”

Beyond that, giraffes aren’t as susceptible to the chill brought on by rain, thanks to the patches on their coats. These iconic brown spots not only help giraffes camouflage themselves, but they also provide a source of thermoregulation due to the blood vessels underneath them.

“It’s amazing that social media is drawing attention to vulnerable species like giraffes, but their biggest threat is not rain,” Moss explains, claiming that human encroachment and habitat loss pose greater threats to their survival. In fact, giraffes have lost almost 90% of their habitat in Africa in the last 300 years, per the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

“Giraffes have evolved to survive in these [stormy] conditions for many years and videos like these are a very anthropomorphic view of giraffe life,” Moss concludes.