Digestive tract pathology of captive giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis). A unifying hypothesis
Captive giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis) are affected by four major pathological conditions linked to their nutrition: (1) the so-called “peracute mortality syndrome” with complete absence and serious atrophy of body fat stores, (2) phytobezoars, i.e. Fibrous conglomerates of plant material, in the omasum and abomasums (3) rumen acidosis or (4) partial loss of dorsal ruminal papillation. […]
Comparative Use of Four Different Marker Systems for the Estimation of Digestibility and Low Food Intake in a Group of Captive Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
In a feeding trial with four captive giraffes, nutrient digestibility was determined using four different marker systems. Although cobalt-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid proved to have no utility as a digestibility marker in this study, reasonable values could be obtained using C36 n-alkane, acid detergent lignin, and acid insoluble ash as markers. A comparison of methods and literature […]
A Comparison of Husbandry, Feed Intake and Cause of Death of Captive Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in the United Kingdom
Giraffe are known to be subject to many behavioural abnormalities in captivity that are linked with inferior nutrition and a lack of stimulus to travel and browse (Baxter & Plowman, 2001). A combination of hay with compounded feeds does not adequately replicate the wild diet (Baxter & Plowman, 2001). As a consequence of a substandard […]