Giraffe Feed Station Instructions Giraffe Touch Cart 1. Charge for a leafy branch or lettuce leaf. Cost: $3.00 for Non-members and $2.00 for Members. Members are required to show a stamp on their hand or their membership card to get the discount. 2. ONLY SELL ONE BRANCH PER GIRAFFE AT THE GATE! We are selling the experience and do not want to overwhelm the giraffes. If there is one giraffe only sell one branch. If there are three giraffes, you can sell three branches. 3. People should wait behind the line until it is their turn. Do not pre-sell branches. 4. Do not allow anyone to try to pet or grab at giraffes faces. You are protecting the giraffes while training them. 5. Always have someone at the biocart located at the entrance to the feed station educating the people as they wait their turn to feed the giraffes. 6. Be sure to put the used twigs in the barrel for ease of disposal. 7. Be sure to write down the clicker numbers. 1
Possible bio facts included: giraffe tail, ossicone, crane feathers, giraffe poop, purple yarn, giraffe fact sheet Theme ideas 1. The giraffe is tall as an adaptation for survival. 2. What s up with their Outrageous Headgear? Bio fact details Giraffe Tail: Public can touch, tail came with our mounted collection. Giraffes use their long tail to swat away flies. The long tail hair is also used to make bracelets and necklaces for the tourist trade. Unfortunately, this has led to poaching in some parts of Africa. Non-native hunters use the giraffe tail as a personal fly swatter. Giraffe diet and poop: Browse (such as the branches that are fed at the feeding station) is part of the giraffe s healthy diet. Keepers fill the shade structure once a week on Tuesdays making an artificial tree for the giraffes. Alfalfa hay and pellets are also fed to our giraffes twice a day. Giraffes drink water when available but can go weeks without it; they rely on the morning dew and the water content of their food. Giraffes are browsers, and feed on the leaves and shoots of trees and shrubs. They vary the way in which they gather food depending on what it is eating. Some trees, like the Acacia in Africa, are very thorny, so the giraffe needs to take care when eating from it. They bite off individual shoots and bunches of leaves from in between the thorns. A giraffe's tongue can be up to 22 in. long, and it uses this to pull leaves into its mouth forming a ball, then coats the whole ball in sticky saliva making it safe to swallow. A giraffe can pull the smaller branches of less thorny trees through their lobed canine teeth, stripping them of their leaves. The way a giraffe feeds reduces competition between the sexes. Females bend down to reach lower branches of trees and shrubs, males stretch up to get the leaves from the very tops of trees. Giraffe cows feed for up to twelve hours in every twenty-four, but males feed for much less time. Giraffes are ruminants (like cows) which means they have a multichambered stomach. They swallow their food then regurgitate it back up and swallow again. This way their bodies use as much of the nutrition as possible so there is little waste. In order to accommodate the swallowing with a long neck, giraffes must produce a large amount of saliva. They do this here by licking metal on the barn and fence posts stimulating the saliva production. Giraffe Ossicone (replica): Public can handle Giraffe 'Horns' are called ossicones. These are bony masses covered with skin and tufts of hair that grow from the skull. They are not true horns at all. Females will have tufts of hair on top while the males tend not to because the males like to spar with each other rubbing the hair off their ossicones. Crowned Crane Feathers: Public can handle GENTLY The East African Crowned Crane is a very striking bird. It is slategrey with white upper and under wing coverts. Its primary feathers are black and its secondary feathers are chestnut. It has black down feathers on its head and a top-knot of stiff golden bristles. The Crowned Crane's legs and bill are black. East African Crowned Cranes perform "slow motion" dances with wing flapping, displaying their topknot to its full effect during courtship. When dancing, the birds hop forward with extended wings to form a circle, then circle round each other, dance out away from the center and then hop back again to reform the circle. Some cultures believe the cranes bring rain and have incorporated the cranes movements into their own ritual dances. 2
GIRAFFE Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Artiodactyla, Suborder: Ruminantia, Family: Giraffidae Reticulated: Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata Rothschild s: Giralla camelopardalis rothschildi People have marveled over the giraffe s height and beauty for thousands of years. When the first zoo was created by Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt some 3,500 years ago, a giraffe was transported 1,500 miles down the Nile River for the Queen s zoo. It was thought that the mother of the giraffe was a camel and the father was a leopard. The Romans called it a camel-leopard. In 1827, when a giraffe was placed on public display for the first time in Paris, it nearly caused a riot. The arrival of the giraffe also started a fashion frenzy, influencing hairstyles, clothing, and accessories. Giraffes are the tallest of all land mammals. But it is the giraffe s speed, not its height, that gave it its name. Giraffe comes from the Arab word xirapha (zee-raf-ah), which means the one that walks very fast. Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa, once described a moving giraffe herd as a family of rare, long-stemmed, speckled, gigantic flowers slowly advancing. There is only 1 species of giraffe. However there are several different races or subspecies found in different parts of Africa including: Nigerian, Kordofan, Nubian, Reticulated, Baringo (Rothschild s), Masai, Thornicroft s, Southern, and Angolan. The different subspecies have different markings. Height: males - 17 feet (average), females - 14 feet (average) Weight: males: 1700-4000 lbs., females: 1200-2500 lbs Habitat: savannas and open woodlands Range: Giraffes are found in various areas of Africa south of the Sahara desert. The reticulated giraffe is found primarily in Kenya. The Rothschild s is found south of the Sahara in Northern Kenya and Uganda. Population status: Giraffes have been eliminated from much of their former ranges in western Africa and the southern Kalahari. Giraffe were nearly eliminated from East Africa at the turn of the century by non-native hunters and rinderpest, a disease believed to be introduced by cattle imported to Africa. Today, giraffes are found in national parks and areas outside of those parks. In Niger the population is increasing giraffes are protected as a good luck charm. Threats to survival: While it is illegal to hunt giraffe in most African countries, poaching still occurs. Giraffes are killed for food and for their long black tail hairs which are used to make fly swatters, trinkets, and bracelets. Giraffe skin is used for drums, watertight bowls, even shoes. Their bones are employed as grinders and some believe help bring rain. Some believe the hair on the giraffe s coat can induce fertility. Some people feel that with continued human population growth, wild giraffes may some day be found only within the confines of Africa s national parks. Diet in the wild: Giraffes prefer young leaves and the shoots of trees. Acacia trees are one of their favorites. Special features: A group of giraffes is called a herd. Adult females are called cows. Males are known as bulls. A young giraffe is called a calf. The largest male giraffe on record was over 19 feet tall. Other animals on the savanna use giraffes as watchtowers or observation posts for predators. Giraffes spend 40-60% of their time feeding. They are most active shortly after sunrise or sunset. Favorite tree is acacia tree which is loaded with thorns. Females bend down to reach lower branches of trees and shrubs while males stretch up to get the leaves from the very tops of trees, so they don t compete with each other. Cows feed for up to 12 hours a day while males feed less. They vary the way they gather food depending on what they are eating. Giraffes can go without water longer than a camel and will drink 12 gallons at a time. Giraffes are able to obtain most of the moisture they need from the green leaves that they eat. This means fewer trips to the waterhole or stream. Waterholes can be dangerous places where 3
predators lie and wait to attack animals as they drink. Even with its long neck, a giraffe s front legs are so long that it cannot touch the ground with its nose by simply bending over. In order to reach the water at a watering hole, stream, etc. a giraffe must splay its front legs. This position makes a giraffe more vulnerable to predator attack. Trouble seeing from this position because of the bony ridge above their eyes. Giraffes have very keen vision. Field observations have shown that they appear to be able to recognize herd mates at a distance of over one half mile. They also seem to have some color vision and are able to distinguish orange, red, green, yellow-green, blue, and violet as separate colors. Giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrae in their necks - seven. Giraffes vertebrae are just much larger measuring over 10 each. When giraffes walk, they swing both legs on each side of the body forward at the same time - both left legs, then both right legs. Giraffes must move this way because they have short bodies and very long legs. If they didn t walk this way, their rear feet would step on their front feet. A walking giraffe can take strides that are 15 feet long. Galloping giraffes can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour. When a giraffe raises its head, it is lifting about 500 pounds - the combined weight of the head and neck of an average male giraffe. The heart of an adult giraffe may weigh 20 pounds or more. The heart can pump 15-20 gallons of blood per minute. The giraffe has an extremely high blood pressure (280/180 mm Hg) which is twice that found in humans. Additionally, the heart beats up to 170 times per minute double that of humans. It was previously thought that a giraffe had a really big heart, but recent research has revealed that there isn t room in the body cavity for this. Instead, the giraffe has a relatively small heart and its power comes from a very strong beat as a result of the incredibly thick walls of the left ventricle. The right ventricle pumps the blood the short distance to the lungs and the muscle is about 1cm thick. The left ventricle has to pump the blood all the way up to the head against the hydrostatic pressure of the blood already in the long vertical artery. A giraffe's heart has evolved to have thick muscle walls and a small radius giving it great power to overcome this pressure. The thickness of the muscle wall is related almost directly to the length of the neck. For every 15cm increase in the length of the neck the left ventricle wall gets another ½ cm thicker. Giraffes have special adaptations to help keep the flow of blood to their brains constant. The walls of the vessels inside the giraffe s brain are extremely elastic. This elasticity allows the vessels to expand in order to compensate for the increased pressure and blood flow that occurs as the giraffe lowers its head to drink from a waterhole. The jugular vein also serves as a reservoir for blood when the giraffe s head is down. The vessels in the brain are also able to retain sufficient blood so that all of the blood doesn t rush from the brain as the giraffe lifts its head. Valves in the large veins also help regulate blood flow. Giraffes are ruminants (cud chewers) and have a 4-chambered stomach like that of a cow. Giraffes are generally quiet, but are capable of mooing like a cow, bleating like a calf, and bellowing like a bull. They can also snort, whistle, cough, grunt, and growl. Each giraffe has its own unique spot pattern that can be used to distinguish one individual from another, much like a human fingerprint. The spots act as a thermal window to release the body heat of the animal. Each patch has a large blood vessel surrounding it with a web of smaller vessels in the middle of the patch. The horns on a giraffe s head are different from most animal horns. They are formed from ossified cartilage or cartilage that has transformed into bone that are covered with skin and hair. The scientific term for them is ossicones (AH-suh-cones). Both males and females have them. Giraffes often have more than two. Females have tufts of hair on the top of the ossicones. Males, in contrast, usually have bare-topped ossicones (the hair tufts and skin are often worn away during combat with other males). The tongue of a giraffe may be 18-22 inches long. The end of the tongue is dark - to help protect it from the hot sun. The tongue is so long the giraffe can actually clean its ears with it. Giraffes will lick the buildings or objects to generate saliva to stimulate the rumen. Their mouth must constantly be active to stimulate the saliva for a healthy rumen. The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, between 20 minutes and two hours in a 24 hour period. Giraffes are one of the few mammals that cannot swim at all. Social structure & Behavior: 4
Giraffe herds are rather loose social groups. Herd members are generally free to wander off and join another herd. There is no rigid social hierarchy or pecking order, as with many other animals that live in herds. In fact, it is often hard to tell who the leader of a giraffe herd is. Males may move about more from herd to herd in search of females to breed. Generally giraffe bulls live together peacefully, but they may occasionally confront each other. These ritualized confrontations are sometimes referred to as necking. There are different levels of confrontation between male giraffes. During a low intensity confrontation, the two males will begin by standing side by side and leaning on each other. Then they will rub and wrap their necks around each other. These actions may continue until one giraffe wanders away or until the interaction escalates to sparring. During less violent sparring matches, the bulls will stand side by side, facing the same direction, and slap their necks together. They may hit each other on the neck or shoulders with their horns. During more violent sparring, bulls may stand side by side, face opposite directions and strike each other with their horns on the flanks and hind legs. The fight will continue until one of the bulls backs down and steps away. Once scores are settled, giraffes don t seem to hold grudges; moments after a sledgehammer fight, you ll see the two warriors grazing side by side or gently rubbing necks together (Benyus 148). Observations of giraffes in the wild indicate that giraffes lie down only 5-6 hours per night with other giraffes standing guard. During most of this time, the animals remain alert with their necks erect and their eyes alternately open and closed. Giraffes may go into a deep sleep for only a total of 5 minutes each night. In one study, the longest uninterrupted deep sleep phase was just 2 minutes and 40 seconds. During deep sleep a giraffe bends its neck backwards in an arch and rests its head behind its back legs or on an extended back leg. The main predator of the giraffe is the lion. Lions may attack calves, subadults, and even adult giraffes. Because of their great height and excellent vision, giraffes can often spot stalking lions. If one herd member senses danger, it will generally stare off in the direction of the approaching predator. Other herd members usually quickly take notice and turn to watch, too. Giraffes can defend themselves against lions by kicking with their hind legs or striking with their front legs. They may also be able to outrun a lion. However, lions are capable of killing even adult giraffes if they are able to attack the giraffe at the neck and suffocate it. Breeding & Caring for Young: Female giraffes become sexually mature around 3.5 to 4.5 years of age. They do not reach full size until they are approximately 5 years old. Males become sexually mature between 4 and 5 years of age and do not reach full size until they are about 7 years old. Giraffes can reproduce throughout the year. Gestation = 15 months When a female giraffe is ready to give birth she will usually separate herself from the group and the high traffic areas of the savanna. She gives birth standing up causing the embryonic sack to actually burst when the baby falls 6 feet to the ground. A newborn giraffe may be over 6 feet tall and weigh 150-200 pounds. A young giraffe nearly doubles its height within its first year of life. In the wild, the mortality rate for young giraffes may be as high as 50% during their first month of life. Young animals are preyed upon by lions, leopards, African wild dogs, and hyenas. At 5 or 6 months of age, the calves will start to follow their mother on feeding expeditions. At 6 to 18 months of age, the young giraffes become more independent and begin to travel in groups of all females or all males. Young giraffes may nurse for up to 15 to 17 months. Btuanya (m) - DOB Sept 2002 Billie (f) - DOB Feb. 2010 Zuri (f) -DOB July 2010 5
EAST AFRICAN CROWNED CRANE Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidea Balearica regulorum gibbericeps Description: Slate-grey with white, black, and chestnut markings; a top-knot of stiff golden bristles. The bill is shorter than in other cranes. Size: 4 feet tall, wingspan is 6 ½ feet. Weight: 6-8 pounds Habitat: The largest concentrations are found in marshes and grassy flatlands near the rivers and lakes, but also inhabit cultivated land. Distribution: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and eastern Zaire. Diet: Plants, seeds, grain, insects, frogs, snakes, small fish and the eggs of water animals. They stamp as they walk, flushing insects to eat. Life Span: 20-40 years. Status: ICUN listed as Least Concern Clutch size is 4 eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs: females at night and males during the day. Eggs hatch after 28-31 days. Chicks are well developed when hatched and follow parents within a few hours. Fledge in 2-4 months. Ozzie 5/99 Jack 5/99 Special Characteristics: The birds are named for the distinctive, bristle-like golden feathers on top of their black head. They are gregarious, often living in family flocks of over 100. Cranes mate for life but the remaining partner takes another mate when one dies. The summons for its mate comes from a 5-foot long windpipe that gives the crane their powerful trombone-like call that can carry for miles. During the breeding season, cranes are known for their elaborate courtship dance with each other. The dance is outstanding as the crowned crane prances with wings outstretched to display its feathers, struts about and jumps high into the air. They spend their entire day looking for food. At night, the crowned crane spends it time in the trees sleeping and resting. Reproduction: Build large circular nests made of grasses and vegetation in a secluded area. 6