5 Shocking Sounds: The Secret Noise Of Giraffes That Scientists Just Discovered

For centuries, the giraffe was known as the "silent giant" of the African savanna, a majestic creature whose long neck and graceful stride seemed to exist in a world of near-total silence. This long-held belief, perpetuated by zookeepers and researchers alike, has been dramatically overturned by modern bioacoustics research. As of late 2025, the latest scientific findings confirm that these towering mammals are far from mute, possessing a complex, low-frequency vocal repertoire that includes a mysterious, spooky sound heard only under the cloak of darkness. This article will dive deep into the surprising and recent discoveries about the noise of the giraffe, explaining why their sounds were missed for so long and what purpose their secret "humming" serves.

The misconception that Giraffa camelopardalis was a largely silent animal stemmed from the fact that their most significant communications occur outside the range of typical human hearing or during the night. However, groundbreaking studies, particularly one published in 2015 after years of meticulous recording, have revealed a hidden world of giraffe communication, proving that the African giant is, in fact, quite chatty—just in its own unique, low-key way. The discovery of their nocturnal vocalizations is one of the most exciting updates in the field of wildlife acoustics in the last decade.

The Silent Giant Myth: Why We Thought Giraffes Were Mute

The image of the "silent giant" was deeply ingrained in zoological literature for decades. Unlike elephants, lions, or even zebras, the giraffe did not possess an obvious, loud, or easily recognizable vocalization. Their sheer size and the length of their necks were often cited as anatomical reasons for their supposed muteness.

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• Anatomy and Airflow: The giraffe’s trachea (windpipe) is exceptionally long, spanning several feet. Some scientists theorized that this long column of air made it difficult to generate enough pressure for loud, audible sounds, similar to how a very long horn might be hard to blow.
• Larynx Position: While giraffes do possess a larynx (voice box), its structure and the sheer distance the sound must travel were believed to dampen any potential vocalizations.
• Daytime Observation Bias: Most research and observation of giraffes, particularly in the wild, occurred during the day. As we now know, the most consistent and complex vocalizations of the giraffe occur after sunset, leading to a significant observational gap.

This long-standing belief was shattered by a comprehensive study conducted by researchers who placed recording equipment in three European zoos: Berlin, Copenhagen, and Vienna. The goal was to record nearly 1,000 hours of audio over eight years, specifically to capture any sound the giraffes might make, day or night. The results were astonishing and provided the first definitive proof that giraffes are vocal communicators.

The Discovery of Nocturnal Humming: The Giraffe's Secret Song

The single most significant discovery regarding the noise of the giraffe is the existence of a deep, sustained, and somewhat eerie nocturnal humming. This sound is the cornerstone of the new understanding of giraffe communication.

Key Facts About the Humming:

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• Frequency: The humming is a low-frequency sound, typically recorded at approximately 92 Hz. While this is audible to the human ear, it is close to the lower limit of our hearing range, making it easily missed amidst other ambient noises, especially in a quiet African savanna setting.
• Timing: It is almost exclusively heard at night. The researchers noted that the humming occurred most frequently between dusk and dawn, a period when the animals are often resting and separated from the main herd.
• Acoustic Structure: The humming is characterized by a long, drawn-out tone that rises and falls in pitch, often lasting for several seconds.

The purpose of this nocturnal humming remains the subject of intense scientific debate, but several compelling theories have emerged. This mystery is what makes the giraffe such a fascinating subject of current bioacoustics research.

What is the Purpose of the Giraffe's Nocturnal Hum?

While the exact function is not definitively proven, the context in which the humming occurs strongly suggests a communicative role. Scientists are exploring several possibilities:

1. Maintaining Herd Cohesion: The leading theory suggests the humming is a mechanism for contact calling. Since giraffes often rest in small, spread-out groups at night, the low-frequency sound could travel long distances across the savanna without being easily detected by predators. It allows individuals to signal their location and maintain the integrity of the herd, especially when visibility is low.

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2. Signaling Separation Anxiety: The humming has been observed to increase in intensity and frequency when individual giraffes are separated from the main group. This suggests it may be a form of distress call or a direct attempt to locate and rejoin lost members.

3. Mate-Finding or Reproductive Signaling: In the quiet of the night, a low-frequency hum could serve as a subtle, private signal between potential mates, a form of long-distance advertisement that minimizes predation risk compared to a louder, more obvious call.

The fact that the sound is low-frequency also leads to speculation that it might overlap with infrasound, a sound below the range of human hearing, similar to how elephants communicate across vast distances. If true, this would mean the giraffe's communication network is even more complex and far-reaching than currently understood.

Beyond the Hum: The 5 Shocking Sounds of the Giraffe

While the nocturnal hum is the most surprising discovery, giraffes possess a full repertoire of sounds used for different purposes, mostly related to alarm, aggression, and warning. These sounds are more commonly heard during the day, though they are often brief and easily mistaken for general animal noise.

1. The Snort (Warning Signal): The sharp snort is the most commonly recognized daytime vocalization. Giraffes use a forceful snort as a clear and immediate warning signal to other members of the herd when they perceive a threat, such as a lion or a human presence. It is a sudden expulsion of air through the nostrils.

2. The Grunt (Alarm or Stress): A low-pitched grunt is often emitted when a giraffe is alarmed, stressed, or annoyed. This sound is a short, guttural noise that serves to express discomfort or mild agitation.

3. The Hiss (Defensive Aggression): Giraffes will hiss when they are feeling particularly threatened, annoyed, or during aggressive interactions. It is a defensive sound, often seen in conjunction with aggressive body language, such as head-butting or kicking.

4. The Calf Bleat (Distress Call): Young giraffe calves are known to produce a sound similar to a bleat or a loud moo when they are separated from their mother or are in distress. This is a crucial sound for mother-calf bonding and rescue.

5. The Nocturnal Hum (Contact Call): As discussed, the low-frequency, sustained hum is the giraffe’s secret, nighttime communication tool, believed to be a form of contact calling to maintain herd spatial organization and cohesion under the cover of darkness.

The combination of these five vocalizations—snorts, grunts, hisses, bleats, and the mysterious nocturnal hum—paints a picture of the giraffe not as a "silent giant," but as a creature with a subtle yet sophisticated system of bioacoustic communication. This new understanding is vital for conservation efforts, as studying these vocalizations can provide new insights into giraffe social behavior, herd dynamics, and overall well-being in both zoo and wild environments.