The feeding height provided to giraffes in zoos significantly affects their posture, cardiovascular health, and behavioural expression, with ground-level feeding creating welfare concerns.
The physiology of giraffes evolved for a life of high-level browsing. Their hearts, blood pressure regulation, and musculoskeletal systems are all adapted for a body plan that spends most of its time with the head at height. Feeding at ground level requires a wide-legged posture that places unusual loads on joints and creates cardiovascular challenges. Regular ground-level feeding in zoo settings is not simply a neutral alternative to elevated feeding but involves ongoing minor welfare costs that accumulate over a long captive life. Well-designed zoo facilities provide elevated feeding structures as the default feeding arrangement.