Giraffe Flotilla

A Giraffe Flotilla (from S panish, meaning a small  flota (fleet ) of ships), is a collective term referring to the congregation of Giraffes that assemble in a flotilla - esque fashion, usually within the Earth's atmosphere. A somewhat anomalous phenomenon, the Giraffle Flotilla is a poorly understood instance of animal behaviour within the animal kingdom.

While 'flocking' behavioural patterns are well documented throughout different species of animal, the Giraffe Flotilla does present some challenge to Ethologists seeking to understand the mechanisms behind the peculiar pattern of behaviour.

While many within the field of Ethology cite the formation of flotillas as simply a defensive mechanism of the species, others such as acclaimed science fiction author Edward Clam, claim the assembly of flotillas present a substantial degree of evidence to suggest giraffes as a species possess a "sinister level of military organization not expected within the animal kingdom" 

While over 47 separate instances of Giraffe Flotillas have been documented throught history, no picture or video media of a fully assembled flotilla have ever been recorded.

Formation
Within Ethologist circles, it is commonly agreed that the assembly process is one of the most poorly understood aspect of Giraffe Flotillas. Two primary issues initially raised within this stage include the notion of giraffes assumed ability of flight and the giraffes' ability to survive within a vacuum.

The first instances of giraffes flying were documented on April 17th 2056 at Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle USA. Eye witnesses present at the time claimed 4 giraffes present within the park's 'safari zone' took to the skies in a manner akin to a bird taking to flight, extending both fore and hind legs in the absense of wings.

Like all mammals, the physiology of a giraffe does not present any evidence to suggest that the species could survive within the confines of a vacuum such as Earth's atmosphere where giraffe flotillas form.

Measurement
Since the discovery of Giraffe Flotillas, various attempts to measure the speculated numbers present within a flotilla have been made using a variety of techniques including high-speed cameras and computer simulations.

Findings of the 2068 research initiative 'Giraffe Flotillas: A Shadow of Intent" found that generally, a single flotilla would be expected to support no less that 90 giraffes at a given time.