European studbook for the giraffe eep

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Age distribution As one can see on the age distribution printed below, it has a quite healthy ‘pyramid shape’. However, the number of females exceeds the number of males (297 males, 451 females), although slightly this is getting more equal. This can be declared by exports of males to non-EEP participants some years ago, as well as by the fact that male groups are in many cases being kept by less experienced institutions, and the mortality of giraffes is higher in new holders. The last years the number of males is increasing more rapidly than the number of females, due to the fact that no animals are allowed to leave the EEP. Age Pyramid Report GIRAFFE Studbook Status: Living on 1 Jan 2009 GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS Age Males|Females --- N = 297 --------------- N = 451 30- |X 29- | 28- | 27- |XX 26- |X 25- |X 24- X|X 23- X|X 22- X|X 21- X|XXXX 20- X|XX 19- X|XXXXX 18- X|XXX 17- X|XX 16- XX|XXXXX 15- XXX|XXXXX 14- XXXX|XXXXXX 13- XXXX|XXXXXXXX 12- XX|XXXXXXX 11- XX|XXXXXXXXXXX 10- XXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXX 9- XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXX 8- XXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX 7- XXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXX 6- XXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXX 5- XXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 4- XXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 3- XXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 1- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 0- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX?|?XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 48 40 32 24 16 8 8 16 24 32 40 48 Number of Animals 14
Husbandry and management guidelines In 2006 husbandry and management guidelines were published. The guidelines are written by specialists, each in his or her own area of specialisation: Nutrition: Transport: Veterinary issues: Husbandry: General items: Marcus Clauss, University of Zürich, Schwitzerland. Jürgen Hummel, University of Bonn, Germany. Zdenek Barta, Dvur Králové, Czech Republic. Jacques Kaandorp, Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands Ludek Culik, Dvur Králové, Czech Republic. Waltraut Zimmermann, Köln, Germany. Marc Damen, Arnhem, the Netherlands. Günther Schleussner, Stuttgart, Germany. Kristina Tomasova, Dvur Králové, Czech Republic. These guidelines were distributed to all participants in the Giraffe EEP in electronic form and also published on the member area of the EAZA website. They were amended by the Giraffe EEP Species Committee and therefore all participants in the Giraffe EEP are requested to follow these guidelines in the husbandry and management of giraffes. General actions for the year 2009 and later All pure giraffe females should be brought into a breeding situation as soon as possible; this means with a male of the same subspecies and without a male of another subspecies. More important is to further restrict the breeding of hybrid giraffes. The EEP is now slowly coming in the position that the production of pure giraffes can cope with the growth in spaces in the EEP; these additional places should be taken by pure giraffes only. The year 2009 will be mainly used to discuss with the new species committee if we can slowly put more restrictive measurements on the production of hybrids and to stop the production of hybrids. All of this needs to be done carefully to avoid empty giraffe enclosures. As already stated last year, we should avoid that hybrid males are in a breeding situation. In those exceptional cases where hybrid females are still breeding, they should do so with pure males. That way pure males can be ‘tested’ for their reproductive capabilities and in case there would be pure females available for this institution in the future, they already have a pure male. All hybrid males should be placed in bachelor groups. In new, inexperienced, institutions the mortality of giraffes turns out to be higher than in experienced institutions. This can be declared by the fact that the keepers and staff are less experienced with giraffes and the facilities have not yet been tested by giraffes. For that reason all new institutions have to start with a single sex group, either males, or hybrid females, to gain experience. Once gained positive experience and if females become available at a certain point, one could switch to a breeding group. It would not be fair if new institutions start with a breeding group, while others, who already gained experience and who followed the recommendations, have to stick to a bachelor group. Please be prepared to wait long before getting a breeding group of pure giraffes; there are already over 30 institutions waiting in line at the moment and please be aware we will always need single sex groups to control the development of the population. Still a few institutions are transporting giraffes without approval of the Giraffe EEP to non-EEP participants. As one can see on the next page, there are many alternative destinations within the Giraffe EEP. As in previous years, all transfers that have not been approved by the Giraffe EEP will have to be reported to the Antelope and Giraffe TAG, in the interest of the Giraffe EEP and the institutions who are cooperating. 15
Page 1 and 2: EUROPEAN STUDBOOK FOR THE GIRAFFE E
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTION Rotterdam, 6 April 200
Page 5 and 6: Advisors: General advisor: Veterina
Page 7 and 8: History of the Giraffe EEP 1988: Es
Page 9 and 10: A Group B C D E Group F Institution
Page 11 and 12: A Group B C D E Group F Institution
Page 13: Remarks on developments during 2008
Page 17 and 18: Future holders So far, only one cur
Page 19 and 20: Cape giraffes Cape giraffes are bei
Page 21 and 22: Masai giraffes With only 1.4 relate
Page 23 and 24: Baringo Giraffes This subspecies co

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