Learn how giraffes drink water and why they need to spread their legs to do so in a simple way that kids will understand.
Giraffes are really tall animals, and they need to drink water just like we do. But because they have really long necks and long legs, it can be hard for them to bend down to drink water from a river or lake.
To get low enough to reach the water, giraffes have to spread their legs apart. This means they might stand with their legs wide open, which helps them go down slowly without falling over. Once they do this, they can bend their necks down to sip the water up!
So, when you hear, ‘to get as low as water to drink, giraffes have to splay their legs,’ it means they use their legs like a wide 'V' shape to reach the water safely. Isn’t that interesting?