Identifying Essential Elements of Good Giraffe Welfare—Can We Use Knowledge of a Species’ Fundamental Needs to Develop Welfare-Focussed Husbandry?

For giraffes, a leafy branch is more than entertainment. Stripping leaves supplies both food and material to bring back up and chew again later. That second round of chewing, called rumination, helps a giraffe obtain nutrients from its diet. A feeding routine therefore needs to support what happens after the animal first swallows, not just deliver enough food.

Paul Rose reviewed giraffe biology, nutrition and zoo management to propose seven practical foundations for care, covering warmth, enrichment, leaves, appropriate feeding, alfalfa, rumination and exercise. This was a synthesis of existing evidence, not a new experiment. He connected these needs to observable checks, including whether every animal can access suitable forage and regularly chew cud during both day and night.

The digestive connection is specific: a giraffe’s main fermentation chamber is relatively small for its body size and has comparatively weak muscles. The review explains that giraffes consequently rely on selecting suitable food and rechewing it to maximise nutrient gain. Restricting browse and forage reduces material available for rumination and can encourage repetitive oral behaviours. That makes browse a routine dietary need, not simply an occasional diversion. The proposed checklist still requires validation as a welfare tool: meeting these needs supports care without proving how content an individual feels.