How enrichment programmes for zoo giraffes address their unique physical and cognitive needs as the world's tallest animals.
Giraffe enrichment must account for the extraordinary physical requirements of the world's tallest animals. Their feeding adaptations — long neck, prehensile tongue, height-adapted cardiovascular system — evolved for browsing at heights of 4-6 metres, and enrichment that engages these adaptations provides both physical and cognitive engagement. Zoo facilities that provide height-appropriate feeding stations, varied browse species, and the social companionship that giraffes need produce significantly better welfare outcomes than those that provide only ground-level feeding of a uniform diet. The physical and cognitive dimensions of giraffe welfare are deeply connected: engaged animals that spend time in natural behaviour are also more physically active and healthier.