"Runway inspection": South Africans joke as giraffes on tarmac stop pilot from landing

• A pilot captured the moment two giraffes were present on the tarmac while he was up in the air
• Unfortunately, the landing didn't seem to go as planned, as the pilot flew over the two animals
• A few members of the online community joyfully reacted to the unusual wildlife encounter

A pilot was forced to abandon a landing after spotting two giraffes making the tarmac their own, creating an unexpected obstacle on the runway. The surreal moment left many social media users amazed by the rare meeting of wildlife and aviation.

The Instagram account for The Feed CPT reshared the video on 2 February 2026 that was initially posted on TikTok by the account Daily Dose of Aviation. Unfortunately for the pilot, they had to fly over the runway, which was located in a bushy area suitable for wildlife. The actual location wasn't revealed.

The social media page wrote while adding a laughing emoji:

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"Only in South Africa."

Take a look at the Instagram reel below:

Giraffes on tarmac amuse the internet

Not many social media users entered the comment section, but those who did made sure to bring laughter to the social media platform.

Referring to how taxi drivers are often viewed as reckless drivers, @odzz1997 added in the comments:

"They must thank God it was a pilot and not a taxi driver."

@wenakapena jokingly stated:

"You can't park there."

@deersbk humorously said what the two giraffes were doing on the tarmac, writing:

"Runway inspection."

@chuckles2186 entered the comment section with a different mindset and told people on the internet:

"A landing strip built on the giraffes' land."

3 Other stories about funny animal moments

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a woman's attempt to bathe her cat turned into pure comedy gold when the feline tried to escape.
• Three monkeys had people on the internet laughing when they showed their different personalities as they tried to cross a river.
• A video captured an elephant unexpectedly taking a woman's hat while she posed for a picture, forcing her to beg for it back.

Source: Briefly News