giraffe and oxpeckers | pen & ink

This pen-and-ink artwork highlights the subtle partnership between giraffes and oxpeckers — a classic example of mutualism in the African bush. The giraffes stand tall and composed, while the oxpeckers move around them with quick, purposeful energy. Oxpeckers feed on ticks, dead skin, and insects found on a giraffe’s hide, giving the giraffe relief from parasites and irritation. In return, the birds gain a reliable food source and a safe vantage point high above the ground. Their sharp calls can even serve as early warnings, alerting giraffes to approaching danger. Together they form a natural alliance: the calm, towering browsers and the ever-busy birds that follow them through the savanna. This drawing captures that quiet interdependence — a reminder of how even the smallest creatures play a role in the balance of the wild.