Providing nutritionally appropriate diets for captive giraffes is complex — they are highly specialised browsers whose nutritional needs differ significantly from other ruminants.
Giraffe nutrition in captivity highlights how species-specific dietary requirements are often undermet. Hay-dominant diets fail to replicate the nutritional profile of browse and can lead to digestive and metabolic problems. Providing browse — fresh branches of appropriate species — is both nutritionally important and behaviourally enriching for these animals. Zoos that invest in browse delivery, natural foraging behaviours, and validated nutritional standards produce healthier giraffes with better welfare outcomes. Obesity from dietary excess and under-exercise is an emerging welfare concern that requires active management.