Management guidelines for the welfare of zoo animals – GIRAFFE.
Management guidelines for the welfare of zoo animals – GIRAFFE.
The Giraffe Husbandry Resource Manual
Giraffes have been kept in captive situations for hundreds of years. Nevertheless, it would be very difficult to describe a singular optimal situation for keeping giraffe, outside of their natural environment. Much of the information contained within will illustrate multiple situations where giraffe were managed successfully, to allow the reader to make husbandry decisions that […]
Monitoring the behavioral and adrenal Aactivity of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) to assess welfare during seasonal housing changes
In inclement weather, northern zoos are required to provide animals from warmer climates with indoor exhibits. These indoor exhibits are typically smaller, lack natural substrate, and have lower levels of stimulation for the animals. The purpose of this study was to examine the welfare of four reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) exhibited at the Chicago […]
Internal parasites of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) from Etosha National Park, Namibia
During three seasonal periods, parasitological samples were collected from six giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. The helminths recovered included Parabronema skrjabini, Skrjabinema spp., Haemonchus mitchelli and Echinococcus sp. larvae; Cytauxzoon sp. was the only hematozoan found. The low mean abundances of all helminths which ranged from 18 to 531 may […]
The effects of increased hay-to-grain ratio on behavior, metabolic health measures, and fecal bacterial communities in four Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
We evaluated whether increasing the hay-to-grain ratio offered to Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo would reduce oral stereotypies and alter feeding behaviors, maintain or increase serum calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, decrease serum insulin-to-glucose ratio and salivary insulin, and alter fecal bacterial community structure. Giraffe transitioned to a ∼90:10 hay-to-grain ratio in even increments […]
Reproductive failure in female Thornicroft’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti) in Zambia
Reproductive suppression is common among mammals residing in cooperative social systems and is characterized by the cessation of ovulation in subordinate females until their social environment releases them from a temporary freeze on ovulating (e.g., dwarf mongoose, Helogale parvula (Creel, Creel, Wildt, & Monfort, 1992); African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus (Creel, Creel, Mills, & Monfort, […]
Age and socially related changes in fecal androgen metabolite concentrations in free-ranging male giraffes
In many mammal species, androgen levels in males are elevated during periods of mating activity, often to facilitate aggressive behavior between males over access to fertile females. However, this pattern might be less obvious in species with a rather low male-male aggression rate, or in those that are not strictly seasonal breeders. A complex social […]
Chemical immobilisation of giraffe to facilitate short procedures
Objective: To describe the chemical immobilisation of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) for short procedures at Taronga Zoo. Design: A clinical report. Animals: Five giraffe. Procedure: The weight of each animal was determined and pre-immobilisation fasting, careful preparation of the site, and planning were carried out prior to each procedure. Etorphine and acetylpromazine were used as the […]
Fiber type composition of the plantarflexors of giraffes (giraffa camelopardalis) at different postnatal stages of development
A sample of fibers from deep (close to the bone) and superficial (away from the bone) regions of the plantaris (PLT) and medial (MG) and lateral (LG) gastrocnemius muscles of a neonatal, a 17-day-old and an adult giraffe were typed qualitatively as dark or light based on alkaline preincubation myosin ATPase staining properties and then […]
Long-term suppression of fertility in female giraffe using the GnRH agonist deslorelin as a long-acting implant
Zoological institutions provide an environment conducive to studying proximate mechanisms influencing reproduction that can provide guidance to both field and captive settings seeking to manage their stock. Both national parks and zoos have space limitations that sometimes require the use of reversible contraception in order to reduce reproductive rate or limit specific individuals from reproducing. […]