Using a fusion of operant conditioning and TTEAM to train giraffe calves
All the giraffe calves at The Oakland Zoo undergo an extensive conditioning program to prepare them for a successful life in a captive husbandry situation. Beginning when the calf is between five and fourteen days old, keepers initiate basic desensitization and simple operant conditioning behaviors. Keepers use a combination of traditional operant conditioning techniques and […]
Factors Affecting Group Size and Vigilance Behaviour of Maasai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) on the Serengeti-Ngorongoro Ecosystem, Tanzania
This study investigated the factors affecting different group sizes of Maasai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) in the Serengeti-Ngorongoro ecosystem. The study was motivated to test the following hypotheses: 1) in a given group, the sex ratio of males to females with calves is related to group size; 2) group size affects vigilance behaviour; 3) illegal […]
Cow-calf relationships in Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa)
The duration and intensity of the cow-calf bond during lying out, calving pools, and nursery herds has been analysed in a wild population of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa). Field behavior observations were made on naturally marked and radio-collared giraffe. Radio-tracking was used to follow and observe giraffe of a known age for up to 1.5 […]
Giraffe birth locations in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia: site fidelity or microhabitat selection?
Birth site location can have enormous implications for female reproductive success. Some ungulate species demonstrate consistent birth site fidelity, while others shift birth locations during their lifetimes as a function of ecological and social factors. We plotted 39 years of birth records from a wild population of Thornicroft’s giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti, to test the […]