Giraffe up. The calf emerges head and front legs first, having broken through the fetal membranes, and falls to the ground, severing the umbilical cord. The mother then grooms the newborn and helps it stand up. A newborn giraffe is tall. Within a few hours of birth, the calf can run around and is almost indistinguishable from a one-week-old. However, for the first 1–3 weeks, it spends most of its time hiding; its coat pattern providing camouflage. The ossicones, which have lain flat while it was in the womb, become erect within a few days. Mothers with calves will gather in
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is a 1985 children's book written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It is about a young boy, Billy, who meets a giraffe, pelican and monkey who work as window cleaners. Although the story is told in the first person by Billy, the word 'me' in the title refers to the monkey, who concludes every verse of his signature song with the phrase 'the giraffe and the pelly and me'. The story is told from the point of view of Billy, a young boy