Incredibly rare footage has emerged of a giraffe herd eating the remains of another animal.

The giant herbivores have a staple diet of leaves, buds and branches high up in mimosa and acacia trees.

However the alluring clip from Idube Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa shows the animal bending down and gnawing at a buffalo's rib cage.

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A giraffe sniffs the buffalo carcass

A zoomed in shot of one of the giraffes shows its sifting through the spine in search for the best tasting spot.

Although the image of the 'gentle giant' eating another animal's carcasses may appear strange to some, giraffes are known to chew on the bones of deceased creatures to boost their calcium and phosphorous levels – nutrients that are critical for their large skeletons and horns.

They need much higher levels of the minerals to keep their enormous bodies in good health.

A zoomed in shot one of the giraffes shows its sifting through the spine

The bones are not swallowed but simply dropped when the giraffe has collected enough nutrients

'Rob the Ranger,' the animal expert who took the video, wrote on his YouTube channel: 'Are giraffe scavengers? Watching this makes it look like they are!

'In reality, this is an ordinary case of osteophagy (bone eating) which is a common occurrence with many herbivores.

'The bones are chewed as a way of supplementing the diet with calcium and magnesium which are lacking in their normal leaf-based fare.'

Osteophagia means 'feeding on bone' and giraffes partake in it when they are lacking vital nutrients.

The bones are not swallowed but simply dropped when the individual has gained enough nutrients or tires of the activity.