The behavior patterns of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) housed across 18 US zoos.

ABSTRACT: Interpreting animal behavior in the context of welfare can be inherently challenging given the limited behavior data available for many species housed in zoos. Describing common behavior patterns may help animal managers by providing additional background when assessing the individuals in their care. Although valuable, these efforts require a large, collaborative approach and have, consequently, been rare. Here, we share the behavior patterns of zoo-housed giraffes, an iconic and commonly housed megafauna in zoos. Behavior data were evaluated for 66 giraffes living across 18 AZA-accredited zoos using the ZooMonitor Community platform. Data were recorded during 10-minute observation sessions. Observations were conducted during daytime hours over the course of approximately one year at each

SUBMITTER: Wark JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11531738 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature