Abstract: Giraffe nutrition study at the Wilds, Ohio
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2008 |
Authors: |
Jessica Teaff, Jonathon Grennell |
Publication/Journal: |
The Ohio Journal of Science |
Keywords: |
adf-16, alternative diets, diet, giraffa camelopardalis, giraffe, rumenacidosis, rumination, urolithiasis, wild herbivore |
Abstract:
Captive management of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) has been hampered because of health and diet issues. Specifically, giraffe often suffer from rumenacidosis, which can lead to compromised digestion and shortened lifespan. Additionally, many individuals suffer from urolithiasis, a blockage of stones in the urinary tract, which can lead to sudden death. Several studies have suggested zoo diets may be part of the problem. This study was designed to test for potential benefits of alternative diets using the number of ruminations observed and several other stress-indicating behaviors as response variables. The test subjects were animals kept at the Wilds. It was hypothesized that there would be differences in these response variables as a function of change in diet. Giraffe were divided into two groups of four animals each. Each group was assigned to a diet treatment: ADF-16 vs. Wild Herbivore. Giraffe given ADF-16 were put on pasture and were able to eat browse, and those given Wild Herbivore remained at the barn. The study used Instantaneous Point Sampling (at 30 second intervals) to record rumination and behaviors of the giraffe. Each giraffe was observed in 10-minute intervals for four hours in the morning (8am-12pm), afternoon (12pm-4pm), and evening (4pm-8pm). There was a total of approximately 72 hours of observations. Initial analyses indicate that giraffe in the barn exhibited lesser rumination rates and more stress-indicating behaviors relative to pasture animals, suggesting that the combination of ADF-16 and browse may have provided superior nutritional benefits relative to Wild Herbivore alone.