Zookeepers attend the recent International Giraffe Conference held at Bristol Zoo Project

Our team of qualified and experienced keepers are passionate about animals and, (more importantly) their welfare – and they’re always looking at ways to improve their skills which ultimately gives the animals a better quality of life.

Two of our very own keepers, Megan and Pippa, already look after our three giraffes at Folly Farm, Rian, Shrimp and Rudi, who reside at the Giraffe Heights exhibit. They recently travelled to the Bristol Zoo Project for the four day International Giraffe Conference and they were so excited to tell us all about it…

Our own bachelor herd

“We were really excited about the conference – the lead giraffe keepers from Colorado in the USA were going to be there and we were eager to hear about their experience and knowledge. We learnt so much in the four days of the conference. We looked at how to implement more sand areas within the enclosure which gives the animals more choices when it comes to where they wish to walk, sleep, stand and rest.”

Giraffe training in action at Bristol

“Although we use browse enrichment regularly for our animals, simple things like how it’s hung up to make it more naturally resemble trees, encourages the animals to feed more regularly. One of the highlights was actually discovering that browse can be frozen all year around without requiring drying time! This will be life changing to the way we bulk freeze our own browse, ensuring we have a stockpile to last throughout the winter.” – Meg

Pippa (l) and Meg (r) working on their target training

Pippa continued:

“We experimented with thermal imaging which could ultimately help us if it came to identifying injuries or health issues in a less invasive way. This minimises the stress caused to the animal and allows the giraffe to remain in its normal environment.

Some practical sessions also took place such as target training which we already practice regularly. This is a concept that teaches giraffes how to touch a stick or hand with a part of their body, using a clicker as a prompt on que and a treat given to promote positive reinforcement. It does take quite some skill with regards to keepers maintaining their position to ensure no false ques are given. This training helps promote animal movement to different areas of their house for example and encourages these naturally shy animals to be comfortable around different people, including vets – so when it comes to check ups they become less daunting for them.”

Meg testing out the curling blocks used for giraffe hoof care

“We also looked at how to provide better hoof care and discovered the benefits of using shorter curling blocks and are already in the process of implementing this on the zoo.” – Pippa

Overall, our keepers have taken away plenty of incite and ideas that they’re excited to put into action! It’s been a great opportunity for them to not only learn new skills – but to network with other amazing zoo professionals. Well done girls!