How often and when do giraffes mate?

There is no mating season among giraffe, so mating occurs year-round. Female estrus occurs every two weeks, and lasts around a day. Once a male decides to court a female, he follows her determinedly over a period of hours or even days in order to mate with her. The courtship of giraffe mostly consists of the male trailing behind the female and occasionally attempting to mount her. The female may repeatedly resist these mounting attempts by walking forward unconcernedly, until finally copulation occurs when she stands still for the male. Copulation among giraffe is brief, so it is rarely observed by researchers