Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animals and present unique zoo welfare challenges including specialized feeding infrastructure, social management, and the locomotor needs of an animal adapted to vast savanna ranging.
Giraffe welfare in zoos requires feeding infrastructure at appropriate heights to engage natural browsing behavior, and space sufficient for the locomotion of such large animals. Enclosures that force giraffes to feed at ground level compromise musculoskeletal health and behavioral expression. Social management must account for the fluid, low-conflict social system of giraffes — forced close proximity of incompatible individuals causes stress. Transport and handling of giraffes carries significant risk of capture myopathy — the extreme stress of confinement and immobilization can cause fatal muscle damage in an animal evolved for open ranging. Conservation programs for giraffes have become increasingly important as giraffe numbers decline across Africa — zoo breeding and advocacy programs contribute to awareness of a conservation crisis that receives far less attention than elephant or rhino declines.