A video from South Africa shows that invasive plant species do not always go untouched by the ecosystems they enter.
In the Eastern Cape, a giraffe was seen eating prickly pear cactus, turning a plant viewed as an ecological nuisance into a meal.
What happened?
The video was posted to the Reddit forum r/invasivespecies.
(Click here to view if embed does not appear.)
The footage shows a giraffe munching on the cactus, a species known for being highly invasive and quickly spreading.
The clip shifts the narrative that once an invasive species enters an ecosystem, native species are helpless to do anything about it.
TCD Picks » EDF Spotlight
💡EDF's Vital Signs newsletter delivers stories about game-changing solutions close to home and around the world
Though this meal will likely not slow the spread of the invading plant, the giraffe seemed to eat the cactus without issue.
Why does it matter?
Invasive plants can reshape landscapes in ways that affect ecosystems, wildlife, and landowners. When a fast-spreading species takes hold, it can crowd out native plants, alter habitat, and make it harder for other species to thrive.
In the comments, one user from Florida was surprised that the cactus was invasive.
"This is native to where I live. I had no idea that it was invasive anywhere!" they wrote.
"Prickly pear is invasive in a lot of places actually!!" another user replied. "In Australia they actually introduced a moth species to fight it because it was destroying so much habitat."
A single video does not demonstrate that giraffes can manage prickly pear by themselves. It does, however, suggest that wildlife grazing may slow the advance of an invasive plant.
In many places, invasive species management relies on a mix of strategies, including monitoring, manual removal, and broader land management efforts. Biological controls may also be considered, though those approaches require careful oversight.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
