Young giraffe goes viral after staring contest with ostrich in zoo

A young giraffe at the Memphis Zoo has gone viral after getting into a staring contest with an ostrich in a neighboring enclosure. 

Whenever you visit the zoo, you might find yourself being stared at by animals who seem absolutely bewildered by the fact that they can see you. There have been plenty of viral videos of kids being upset because a gorilla or lion won’t stop looking at them.

However, at the Memphis Zoo, it’s a staring contest between two animals that has gone viral over the last few days. 

Rahisi, a baby giraffe at the zoo, noticed that the ostrich enclosure is next to its, prompting a staring contest between the two animals. “Rahisi has met the neighbors,” the zoo said on Instagram. 

Giraffe goes viral staring at neighboring ostrich in zoo

The short video, which was captured by one of the zookeepers, has gone viral across social media, with plenty of viewers pointing out just how “adorable” the interaction is.

“Eyeing each other up. Battle of the long necks to see who blinks first,” one viewer joked. “So who blinked 1st in the staring contest?” another asked. “Looks like me and my son when he finally became taller than me,” another quipped. 

“This is the only time they’ll see eye to eye lol,” another chimed in. “Ostrich is thinking he’s big, but I can take him.”

This isn’t the only situation between zoo animals that social media users have been keeping a keen eye on, either. 

Over in Japan, baby monkey Punch has become a viral sensation after being abandoned by his mother. Punch has developed a strong attachment to a stuffed orangutan toy, seeking comfort in it after being rejected by his group.

Ichikawa City Zoo addressed some of the behaviour from the other monkeys towards Punch, urging supporters to “support Punch’s effort rather than feel sorry for him.”