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
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.
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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