Social Preferences of Translocated Giraffes (Giraffa Camelopardalis Giraffa) in Senegal: Evidence for Friendship Among Females?

Can a giraffe mother's friendships shape her calf's social life? Mothers that often appeared together also had calves that often appeared together. The pattern suggests that a young giraffe's social surroundings may be connected to its mother's relationships, rather than forming independently of them.

Lenka Malyjurkova and colleagues observed 28 South African giraffes in Senegal's fenced Bandia reserve, a population established outside its native range. During 34 observation days in the 2013 dry season, they recorded which individuals were together and identified mothers through nursing behaviour. They compared each pair's frequency of association, looking particularly at the seven adult females, their calves and female partners classified as strongly associated.

Six mothers formed three especially strong female pairs. Mothers associated more often with a preferred partner's calf than with calves of other females, and stronger associations between mothers closely matched stronger associations between their calves. The label “friend” described a chosen association threshold in this small, short study; it did not establish emotional attachment, and adult relatedness was unknown. Still, the linked pattern is striking: the company kept by mothers was also visible in the company kept by their young.