No one has ever seen a giraffe swim. But a computer simulation run by two researchers suggests that they probably can:

Creating a digital giraffe involved numerous calculations on weight, mass, size, shape, lung capacity and centre of gravity.

Calculations were made to discover rotation dynamics, flotation dynamics and the external surface area of both a giraffe and - for control purposes - a horse.

The authors found that a full-sized adult giraffe would become buoyant in 2.8metres of water. Giraffes can wade across bodies of water that are shallower.

Link via Geekosystem | Photo: NASA