SUCCESSFUL REARING OF A 10 1/2-WEEK-OLD
ORPHANED GIRAFFE (Giraffa camelopardalis)
CALF AT BROOKFIELD ZOO
ROGER
REASON
Senior Keeper, Brockfield Zoo, Brookfield IL
Accounts from numerous zoos have established the feasibility of handrearing
neonate giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) calves which have been rejected by
the mother or not allowed to nurse (Zelliner, 1960; Savoy, 1966; Clevenger,
1980; Burgess and Blyde, 1991; GivIian, no date; Schmitt and Solder, no
date). However, these have all been very young animals (less than one week
old) and the situation becomes more difficult with older orphaned calves
which will not readily accept a bottle. Brookfield Zoo recently successfully
raised an individual whose mother died when it was 101/2weeks old and a
literature search indicates that this is the youngest surviving giraffe calf
on record which was not hand-reared.
The mother in this case was a 24-year-old animal with seven previous calves
to her credit. Her pregnancy and delivery on 16 July 1997 were unremarkable, but three days after
giving birth she developed an oedema between the mandibles which proved to be
an Actinomyces infection, commonly known as lumpy jaw. On 30 September she
succumbed to complications involved with treating this condition, leaving her
101/2-weekold calf orphaned. Despite the illness of its mother the male calf
was strong and healthy and appeared to be developing normally. Prior to her
death the pair had been housed with two adult females and an adult male when
on exhibit and after her death the calf remained with these animals.
Initially he showed some signs of distress including pacing and vocalising,
but these subsided within two to three weeks. Unfortunately, as might be
expected, he showed no interest in taking formula from a bottle or drinking
it from a container, so providing adequate nutrition in a different form was
the next concern.
The calf had been observed ingesting solid food items as early as six days of
age and ate hay regularly, so a diet consisting totally of solid food seemed
to be a reasonable option. He was given a choice of various pelleted feeds
and produce items to determine any favourites and stimulate his appetite
while still maintaining a good nutritional balance. The preferred pelleted
feed was rationed at 31/24 pounds/day but he never finished even close to
this amount so he had in effect free choice. The preferred produce (a mixture
of shredded apples, carrots and sweet potatoes) was rationed at one
pound/day. He had as much access to the pelleted feed and produce as was
feasible so he could eat at his own pace. In order to prevent the adult
giraffes from consuming these more desirable food items, they were provided
in a creeped stall with the door open only wide enough to allow the calf to
enter. He also had access to alfalfa hay and trace minerals, and salt block
free choice along with the other giraffes. These procedures were continued
until the calf was about 10 months old, at which time he was sent to another
zoo. While we had no actual numbers for weight and height, the consensus of
opinion among zoo staff was that he was marginally undersized for his age.
The day after the calf s mother died a third female gave birth to another
male calf and these two were introduced to the rest of the group when the
second calf was six weeks old. The two calves appeared to bond closely and
the presence of the second calf may have helped the orphaned calf through
this difficult period.
Our experiences with this animal indicated the general applicability and
value of the following techniques when dealing with orphaned giraffe calves
which are too old to take formula from a bottle:
1 ) Provide a variety of food items for selection, any
combination of which
will be nutritionally acceptable.
2) Provide as much time access to the preferred food items
as possible or
necessary.
3) Eliminate competition from other animals for those food
items.
This case, along with a similar one at Calgary Zoo involving a 141/2-weekold
orphaned calf (Keith, 1994), demonstrate the viability and hardiness of young
giraffe calves under difficult circumstances and the practicability of
raising them without bottle feeding when this is necessary.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to all members of the Hoofstock Department and Zoo Nutrition
Services who participated in this project and to Nancy Bent, Ann Petric and
Nancy Saunders, who provided comments on an earlier version of the
manuscript.
Literature cited
Burgess, J. and Blyde, D. (1991) Hand-rearing and reintroduction of a giraffe
(Giraffa camelopardalis) at Taronga Zoo, Sydney. International Zoo Yearbook 3
0:213 -215.
Clevenger, M. (1980) Hand-rearing and development of a Rotlischild's giraffe
(Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Zoo Journal
4:1-14.
GivIian, M. (no date) Reticulated giraffe. In: Infant
DietICare Notbook, Infant Diet/Care Committee (eds). American Association of
Zoological Parks and Aquaria, Oglebay Park, West
Virginia.
Keith, M. (1994) Weight gain of a giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata)
after being orphaned at 3.5 months of age. Animal Keepers'Forum 21:172-175.
Savoy, J.
(1966) Breeding and hand-rearing of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) at
Columbus Zoo. International Zoo Yearbook 6:202-204.
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