Giraffes tuck in to fascinating new treats made to cater for their super quirky needs
Mealtime has never been so much fun for the giraffes at Werribee Open Range Zoo, with some clever keepers channelling their inner Masterchef to create new ‘tongue-twisting’ treats – all aimed at keeping the gentle giants active and healthy.
The quirky treats encourage the giraffes to ignore common table manners and spend mealtime playing with their food, which helps mimic their natural wild foraging behaviours.
Werribee Open Range Zoo savannah keeper Laura Harbridge said some of the fun-filled meals include ‘ice block ‘mushrooms’ with molasses and lucerne chaff, ‘melon mines’ and ‘pumpkin bombs’.
“In the wild, a giraffe’s meal can be slippery, spikey or just plain hard to reach, leading the towering critters to forage for some 13 hours-a-day,” Ms Harbridge said.
“We want to create an environment that encourages their healthy, natural behaviours. So these challenging treats are designed to keep the giraffes engaged with their food for longer.”
The all-natural foods – which also include watermelon, beetroot, carrot and pumpkin ice blocks – are hung from various heights upon a tree in the middle of the Zoo’s Savannah to challenge the giraffes physically and mentally.
“Our five giraffes have plenty of space to roam here, which is a major benefit of the savannah habitat,” Ms Harbridge said.
“We set up their favourite feeding tree and can see them exercising the natural dexterity of their prehensile tongues and lips, which is fantastic.”
Giraffe tongues are blue thanks to a concentration of melanin, which provides extra protection against sunburn, can measure up to 50 centimetres long and are used to grasp branches and strip leaves. Their lips also have the ability to curl around to help seize browse and greenery.
Giraffes are native to Africa and are classified as vulnerable in the wild. Their wild population of 68,000 in decline, with habitat destruction and illegal poaching threatening the species.
Visitors to Werribee Open Range Zoo are able to see the giraffes while on one of the savannah bus tours, which run throughout the day and are included in entry.
