Like elephants, grandmother giraffes spend years caring for young We’re sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss By Joe Pinkstone Normal text size Advertisement London: Giraffes are just as sociable as elephants, a new study claims, as elderly females stay with their tower long after they have stopped being fertile. This post-menopausal period accounts for almost a third of their lives, researchers at the University of Bristol found, and the fact they stay with their familial group until death indicates giraffes have more complex social groups than previously thought. New research shows giraffes care for family members in a manner like the most complex animal social networks.