Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), like many captive ungulates, perform abnormal oral behaviors not seen in the wild. Recent work has shown that when captive giraffes engage in guest feeding programs—where zoo guests provide them forage—they show fewer abnormal oral behaviors. This provides some inspiration for future studies, where zoo guests can engage in increasing environmental enrichment for the animals.

[Photo and caption by Isabelle McDonald-Gilmartin]

Reference:

Orban, D. A., Siegford, J. M., & Snider, R. H. (2016). Effects of guest feeding programs on captive giraffe behavior. Zoo Biology, 35(2), 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21275

[Edited by Ian Ramshorn Haliburton]