Search the Article Database:

Search our library of articles, papers and other published materials. You can use keywords or boolean-style search:

A retrospective survey of neoplasia in managed giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis)

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are commonly managed in zoos and conservation programs worldwide, but the current understanding of the occurrence and progression of neoplastic disease in this species is limited by the scarcity of published reports. This study collated documented cases of neoplasia on the basis of gross and histologic evaluation of ante- and postmortem samples. In total, 30 giraffes from 22 institutions across the United States were included. Subspecies was not reported in all cases, but those identified included Masai

View Details + Download

Sociosexual behavior, male mating tactics, and the reproductive cycle of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis

Female distribution exerts a major impact on male mating tactics. Giraffe cows have a reproductive cycle, and a social system, that should favor a male roaming reproductive tactic. We conducted a 2-year study of female Rothschild’s giraffe (G. c. rothschildi) reproductive endocrinology in order to characterize attributes of the reproductive cycle and investigate how female endocrine and behavioral cues influence mating activity. We used non-invasive fecal steroid methods to determine reproductive state among females residing in a herd in a

View Details + Download

Social organization andbehavioral patterns of the captive giraffe at the Bronx Zoo

The social organization of giraffe has only recently been discovered to have a multi-level structure, and the scientific community lacks the proper understanding of how problems facing giraffe, both in the wild and in captivity, will affect this social organization. In an effort to develop understanding regarding both social and behavioral patterns of captive giraffe, we collected nearest neighbor data and behavioral observations, totaled all affiliative interactions, calculated association strengths, and compiled records of abnormal behaviors of the zoo herd

View Details + Download

Biologic, Antigenic, and Full-Length Genomic Characterization of a Bovine-Like Coronavirus Isolated from a Giraffe

Coronaviruses (CoVs) possess large RNA genomes and exist as quasispecies, which increases the possibility of adaptive mutations and interspecies transmission. Recently, CoVs were recognized as important pathogens in captive wild ruminants. This is the first report of the isolation and detailed genetic, biologic, and antigenic characterization of a bovine-like CoV from a giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in a wild-animal park in the United States. CoV particles were detected by immune electron microscopy in fecal samples from three giraffes with mild-to-severe diarrhea.

View Details + Download

Giraffe restraint, habituation, and desensitization at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

The giraffe restraint device manufactured at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has the capability to fully support the weight of an immobilized adult giraffe in an upright posture and allow physical restraint of giraffe. The unit has been used for either chemical or physical restraint 74 times in 22 months, on seven different adult giraffe, without animal or personnel injuries. Habituation and desensitization of the giraffe are critical prerequisites for the successful use of the giraffe restraint device. Yohimbine effectively reversed

View Details + Download

Using a timed feeder to increase activity and exhibit usage in captive giraffes (giraffa camelopardalis)

The use of enrichment to simulate a natural environment has become increasingly important in the management of captive animals, especially in large exotic ungulates. Indicators of positive welfare in giraffes are behaviors that mimic those displayed in the wild. This study uses a randomly timed feeder in an exhibit for a herd of seven captive giraffes at the Oakland Zoo in Oakland, California. I hypothesize that the feeder can be used to stimulate more naturalistic behaviors, where the giraffes continuously

View Details + Download

The Giraffe Nutrition Workshop Proceedings: May 25 – 26, 2005

On May 25, 2005, 14 people interested in giraffe nutrition and health, convened at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago for a two-day workshop. The participants consisted of university and USDA ruminant nutrition researchers, zoo nutritionists, and veterinarians in addition to the giraffe nutrition and veterinary advisors and the PMP coordinator for giraffe. Captive giraffe have a specific set of maladies that may be related to basic nutritional inadequacies. Peracute mortality (Fowler, 1978; Fowler and Boever 1986; Junge and Bradley, 1993),

View Details + Download

Stress and social behaviors of maternally deprived captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Maternal deprivation can cause long-term behavioral changes in captive mammals. Studies regarding captive ungulates have also indicated behavioral shifts in the presence of the animal keeping staff; however, little is known about these effects in captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis). To examine this, we observed a population of reticulated giraffes composed of maternally raised and maternally deprived individuals by direct and camera observations at Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, Michigan. We conducted observations using a unique ethogram with special regard for

View Details + Download

Infrasound and low frequency vocalizations from the giraffe

The giraffe, a savanna ungulate, possessing limited auditory vocalizations, was found to produce infrasound. Recordings were made of 11 Giraffe (Giraffe camelonardalis reticulata), at the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, North Carolina and the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. A portable system (7Hz – 22 kHz) was used to record the vocalizations. Analysis was conducted in real-time in the field using a portable trigger oscilloscope and National Instruments Polynesia. Real-time analysis consisted of Hamming FFT’s

View Details + Download

Social attachment in giraffe: Response to social separation

Attachment relationships between animals are often studied by separating a pair of individuals and recording their subsequent behavior. Studies of non-human primates have shown that separation results in changes that are indicative of both psychological and physiological stress. Similar results have been found in several non-primate species with differing social structures. This study examined the behavior of two female giraffe at Zoo Atlanta after the removal of the resident male. Data were collected on the giraffe before and after separation,

View Details + Download