No one has ever seen a giraffe swimming.

The unusual shape of the giraffe meant that it floated in a peculiar manner, with the long front limbs pulling the body downwards. This forced the neck to be held horizontally and mostly underneath the water surface, so the animal would have to hold its head upwards at an uncomfortable angle.

The researchers found that “giraffes would be very poor swimmers, and that it might be assumed that they would avoid this activity if at all possible. Looked at another way, we conclude that giraffes can swim, but not at all well.”

Source, Image credit: Courtesy of Donald Henderson and Darren Naish