Giraffes may have a homely face, but they have a marvelous neck!

I confess, the giraffe is my favorite animal. Perhaps it is because of an empathy for the benefits and challenges of its height. Perhaps I admire them because giraffes are generally silent and mind their own business. Or perhaps it is an envy that they can function on an average of 1.9 hours of sleep a day!
A female giraffe gives birth to one baby after 457 days of gestation. She stands up to deliver so the baby must fall 6-8 feet! The baby is already six feet tall and can run around within hours of birth. But because it is easy prey to predators (only 60% survive the first year), the young stay close to mother during the first few weeks.
Giraffes can reach 18 feet tall and 3000 pounds in weight! Think how large its heart is to pump blood that far (22 pounds; 2 feet across)! Think how much blood is in its 10 foot neck alone! Giraffes can go without water for days but, when water is available, they will drink.  When they do, they spread their front legs, dip their head down into the water and satisfy their thirst. We might suspect that that much blood rushing to the brain would kill the animal. Normally it would! But, fortunately, God thought of that before He designed this giant.
When the giraffe lowers its head, special valves in the neck arteries to the brain partially close, lowering its blood pressure 14%. Thus, there simply isn’t as much blood available to damage the brain. Second, at the base of the giraffe’s brain is a spongy set of blood vessels called the wonder net. These soak up the extra blood rushing down the neck so that it doesn’t reach the brain. When it raises its head again, the wonder net releases the blood to the brain. Thus a simple act that may cause us to get dizzy or give us a headache doesn’t phase the giraffe. God thought of everything, didn’t He! Question: how many giraffes would exist today if this protective system weren’t in place in the first ones? (hint: answer starts with an N.) Sounds like design from the beginning, doesn’t it?