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Giraffes in Captivity

From IDA In Defense of Animals
August 2022

Dying young is far from the worst thing to happen to giraffes in captivity. They suffer from physical and psychological problems and live in shockingly small enclosures. Like the Earth's largest land mammals, elephants, the Earth's tallest are extremely ill-suited for captivity.

ALERT: Stand Tall for Giraffes to End Their Suffering in Zoos

Giraffe face

For a giraffe, life in a zoo is often brutal and short. They are lucky to live to 15, and many die much younger, despite being able to live to 20-25 in the wild. But dying young is far from the worst thing to happen to giraffes. They suffer from physical and psychological problems and live in shockingly small enclosures. Like the Earth's largest land mammals, elephants, the Earth's tallest are extremely ill-suited for captivity. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums should phase out confining these gentle creatures who suffer so much in captivity.

Giraffes can easily reach the height of a second-story window and peek in. This ability is often a liability in captivity, where they stick their necks in hard to get out of places. There are many examples of giraffes getting their tall necks trapped in zoo fences, wires, tree branches, and even “enrichment” toys. They twist desperately to extricate themselves, breaking their spines or necks in the process.

Denver Zoo Giraffes

In their homeland of Africa, they travel in tight-knit groups from as small as three individuals up to 175. In captivity, they have no choice about who they live with, and they are confined in the same miniature space for their entire lives. That space is a fraction of what they use in the wild and prevents them from expressing their natural instincts including galloping at their top speed of 35 mph. In zoos, giraffes suffer from arthritis, fractures, lameness, and nutritional diseases from the lack of a proper diet.

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