So giraffes poop...a lot!

Allison, the head giraffe zookeeper, and I spend a good chunk of our morning cleaning up after the giraffes.  When we kick them outside in the morning it is go time in the barn.  There are a total of six stalls that have to be cleaned for them to stay in during the night.  Each stall is sprayed down initially and all the sawdust, hay, poop, and whatever else you may find in there, is cleared.  Want to guess just how big of a mess giraffes make? Don't bother, I am going to tell you.  The giraffes fill a full construction-size dumpster of "their mess" about every two days.  For those of you still sitting there not convinced, trust me, it's a lot!  After this, each stall is then sprayed down until it is impeccable.  Here is a picture of one of the stalls.  Notice how high the walls are! 

  

When the whole process is done, I am convinced you could eat off the floors.  Do you see the hay that is hoisted to the ceiling?  Well cranking that up after being soaked from cleaning results in a "tar and feathering" type of effect.  It feels worth it in the end when you walk into the barn and see the herd laying down in their stall all comfortable and content.  It's like they know they've got me--how could I resist that look?

This is Becky.  She is the oldest giraffe of the herd at 31 years of age! I believe the oldest living giraffe in captivity was 36.  She looks like a record breaker to me.  What is really interesting about Becky is that she has been turning white for some time now.  They think that this is just the result of genetics, probably similar to human hair turning white with age.  

And it is time for Colton's neighbor of the evening.  I don't know what it is with animals sticking their tongues out at me but this is a Pallas cat.  They are found in grasslands of Central Asia and are a threatened species.  

Here is a picture of some enrichment that we set out for the giraffes today.  

This is pvc piping with bucket lids and a plastic ball strung on it.  Scents or liquids are placed on it to make the object exciting.  This one had olive oil dripped over it, and the giraffe can use their tongue to move the lids and the ball.

I am thinking about designing some of my own enrichment for the giraffes.  Allison said that if I come up with an idea we can probably make it happen.  I will keep observing the herd and do some more research before I come up with an idea, but it is definitely something I am excited about.  I'll let you know what I come up with.  

Well I have a couple days off and a carnival to work tomorrow before I get back to it.  I'll keep you posted.  Thanks for stopping by.