Giraffes in zoos have specific welfare needs related to their unique anatomy, social behaviour, and feeding ecology that require specialised husbandry approaches.
Zoo giraffes face welfare challenges including inappropriate substrate leading to foot problems, lack of sufficient browse height and variety, social isolation or incompatible group compositions, and limited opportunities for natural browsing behaviour. Concrete and hard flooring predisposes to joint disease. Welfare-positive giraffe housing requires deep substrates, browse towers at appropriate heights, sufficient space for locomotion, and carefully managed social groups.