Baby Giraffe Engages in Adorably Intense Staring Contest with Neighboring Ostrich at Memphis Zoo
Baby Giraffe Engages in Adorably Intense Staring Contest with Neighboring Ostrich at Memphis Zoo
Desiree AnelloWed, February 25, 2026 at 7:28 PM UTC
0
A baby giraffe, Rahisi, engaged in a staring contest with a neighboring ostrich at the Memphis Zoo
“Rahisi has met the neighbors,” the zoo wrote alongside a video of the two curious animals looking at each other from opposite sides of a fence
Rahisi was born on Nov. 17 and made his public debut at the zoo just five days later
A baby giraffe seems to have made an unlikely, and equally competitive friend at the Memphis Zoo.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Tennessee zoo shared footage on Instagram featuring a baby giraffe, Rahishi, engaged in a tense staring contest with his neighbor: an ostrich who appears just a few inches shorter than the young spotted mammal.
"Rahisi has met the neighbors," the zoo captured the video of the two animals curiously looking at each other from opposite sides of a metal fence with dramatic Western music playing in the background. As the seconds passed, the animals continued to stare at each other from their separate enclosures without making any sudden movements.
Rahisi, who was born on Nov. 17 to mom Maliki and dad Niklas, made his public debut in his habitat at the zoo just five days after his birth.
"With his mom, Maliki, by his side, he quickly gained confidence, exploring his new surroundings and getting happy zoomies," the zoo wrote on Instagram at the time alongside a video of the wobbly calf stepping out into the vast exhibit. "He shared sweet moments with his father, Niklas, and received plenty of attention and affection from Wendy and Ali."
Young giraffe Rahisi stares down ostrichCredit: Memphis Zoo
A few months later, the Memphis Zoo shared a glimpse of how Rahisi had been adjusting to his surroundings in a humorous vlog-style Instagram video, voiced by the "budding star" himself.
Advertisement
"I heard that the last guy got famous from doing these videos, so I wanted to give it a try," the voiceover said, speaking as the baby giraffe. "I've started exploring these things called leaves. I'm not sure how I feel about them yet. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with them."
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Giraffe and ostrich have staring contestCredit: Memphis Zoo
"My favorite thing to do is run in zoomies," the Jan. 10 voiceover continued as an adorable clip showed the baby giraffe bolting across his enclosure. "One day, I hope to get up to 35 miles an hour, but for now, I've already reached baby turbo speed at seven weeks old."
The baby giraffe also shared how he enjoys playing with his older sister, spending time drinking milk from his mother's "milk bar," and observing ostriches.
"My favorite thing to watch is these big, weird dinosaurs," the voiceover said alongside a clip of Rahisi looking over a fence and into an enclosure holding two gray ostriches. "I can spend hours watching them."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
