Giraffe

Two young Rothschild’s giraffes Adhil and Balaji arrived at Singapore Zoo in May 2021. Hailing from India’s Mysuru Zoo, they are now part of a globally managed breeding programme under the EAZA Ex-situ Programme.

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Our giraffes are fed Australian hay and leaves from local starfruit, jackfruit and acacia trees. Bunches of leaves are hoisted high up in the trees to encourage the giraffes to display their natural behaviour of feeding off the highest leaves. They also take vegetables like carrots. Salt lick blocks supplement their diet with necessary minerals — in the wild, giraffes would eat soil rich in salt and other minerals. Water troughs are placed at comfortable heights.

The tough leathery tongue of the giraffe may reach a length of 53cm and works like a hand to grasp leaves from branches. The lack of incisors and canines on its upper jaw allows the tongue to move unhindered during feeding. The giraffe may draw whole branches into its mouth and outward-facing canines on its lower jaw helps to ‘release’ leaves when it’s done feeding. It coats leaves (especially thorny acacia) in its thick, sticky saliva for efficient swallowing.

In the wild, giraffes need to get down to a very awkward position to drink water. In this position, they are vulnerable to attacks by lions. Males grow to almost 6m, females up to 5m. When they lower their head from such heights to the ground, the elastic walls in their carotid artery (carrying blood from heart to brain) swell to contain the extra blood and prevent it from rushing to the head. When they get back up after they’ve drunk their fill, special valves in their veins slow down the flow of blood away from the brain.

The tight skin on the giraffe’s lower legs maintain pressure and ensure blood does not pool in their legs, despite the force of gravity on the huge amount of blood in their body. Scientists have studied the giraffe extensively to design g-suits for fighter pilots. That’s g for gravity, not giraffe. During high g-force maneouvres, these tight-fitting trousers exert pressure on the pilots’ abdomen and legs to prevent blood-pooling and consequent loss of consciousness.