Went On A Giraffe Feeding Experience
13th March 2022 - New Experience Number 7.
A giraffe feeding experience is an incredible way to have a close encounter with the tallest land animal on earth. No matter what size you are, you can enjoy these gentle giants and their big blue tongues with many places offering feeding experiences.
I Didn't Know Much Before My Giraffe Feeding Experience
What did I know about giraffes before this experience? Not a lot really. I knew that they are the tallest living animal with a very long neck and are usually found in Africa. They have brown and yellow patterned fur. Oh, and they look a bit funny when they run! (A bit like me then!)
Whilst I knew I’d be having a brilliant experience getting up close to these incredible creatures, I hadn’t realised how much I would learn about them in such a short time!
Close Encounters Of The Tall Kind - Giraffe Feeding Experience
It was a relaxed experience with a fantastic keeper. He knew so much and was clearly dedicated to the animals telling me all about them during the encounter which saw me giving George the giraffe his lunch.
Although there were 6 giraffes in the enclosure, I would only be feeding George. He was the eldest at 15, the only bull in the herd, and quite dominant, so the focus was with him. To make it fair they give George less food at his later mealtime, so no need to worry that his female companions would miss out.
How do you feed a giraffe? I had no idea. Would we be at ground level and George would swoop his long neck down for the food, or would we need to go up to his level?
Eating Up - Giraffe Feeding Experience
Turns out that to feed a giraffe you need to get up high. In the wild they eat the leaves at the top of the tall acacia trees. Whilst we weren’t going to be feeding foliage to our tall friend, we still needed to take the food up to him. No cherry pickers around, we climbed the stairs to the barred walkway running around the inside of his tall shelter.
Dinner's Ready!
The keeper encouraged George to come inside by shaking the pellet food in the bowl and calling out his name. It reminded me of how our neighbours used to call their cat in on an evening. Who’d have thought a similar technique would work on a giraffe?
Eagerly coming indoors, George seemed completely unfazed by the presence of a new human in his home. He clearly knew what time it was. He came right up to the bars and popped his nose between them ready for his lunch.
Long Lunch - Giraffe Feeding Experience
He was firm but gentle as he tucked in. His long blue tongue dextrously lapped up the pellets that I held out for him in the flat of my hand. Giraffes don’t have top teeth at the front of the mouth so it was a soft and solid snaffle as he took the food.
I wore gloves as I fed a giraffe. This was to keep George safe and to protect me from his rough, slobbery, blue, tongue. It’s blue, and heavy on the saliva which is a means of sun protection in his native home of Africa!
Big Respect For The Giraffe
It didn’t take him long to chomp his way through the bowl full of food. Returning to ground level as George digested his lunch, I got a much better sense of perspective. I felt tiny next to him as I was only about as tall as his knee cap!
During my encounter with George he was a very friendly fellow, but I wouldn’t want to be caught on his bad side. A swift kick from one of his long legs can shatter a lion’s skull, and a blow from his head would cause some serious damage too!
Highly Brilliant Animals - Giraffe Facts
I mentioned at the start I didn’t know much about giraffes before the encounter, but I picked up some brilliant facts from the keeper. You might already know these, but they were new to me!
- George is a Rothschild Giraffe. They can be identified from other types of giraffe as they don’t have markings below the knee.
- I knew they had a long blue tongue, but I didn’t know it was around 45 cm long!
- Their tail with the cute tuft can be around 100cm in length and is very handy for swotting away irritating insects.
- The rich leafy goodness they eat in the wild is often amongst thorns and prickles, their long thick eyelashes protect their eyes, and soft hair around their mouths means they can tuck in without any pain.
- They generally sleep for less than five hours a day. Often this consists of naps rather than one solid slumber, and it’s not unusual for them to take a snooze whilst standing up.
- Despite having such incredibly long necks, the number of bones in a giraffe’s neck is the same that we have as humans.
- The horn like bumps on their head are called ossicones. Both the males and females have them. Unlike antlers and horns found on other creatures, ossicones are usually permanently covered by skin and hair. These can add weight to their heads giving them more power in a fight.
Definitely Not A Pain In The Neck - Giraffe Feeding Experience
It was amazing to get so close to such an incredible animal. They are strong, beautiful and highly unique. Whilst it would be amazing to see a giraffe in its natural habitat, we humans are not exactly making that easy for them, so it was lovely to see them being so well looked after at Flamingo Land.
I Went To The Zoo, Zoo, Zoo, How About You?
I spent the rest of the day at the zoo in Flamingo Land. I saw several animals being fed and heard some brilliant talks from the keepers. Definitely a full day out and I can highly recommend it!
Want To Try It Yourself?
Many zoos and wildlife parks are offering animal experiences, so take a look to see if there is one near you.
I booked the encounter at Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire.
- If you’re interested in other animal encounters, take a look at these other new wildlife experiences.
Cost Of Experience
- This will vary depending on where you have your encounter.
- At Flamingo Land it was £25 for a 20 minute feeding in March 2022.
- I also needed to pay admission to the park. This cost £14.50 in advance in March. This meant I could spend the whole day there, visit the rest of the zoo, and go on the rides if I’d wanted to.
- The price of entry at Flamingo Land varies depending on what time of year you go.
Recommendations
- The food for George was solid pellets. It wasn’t messy to give him his dinner, but it’s probably a good idea not to wear your best clothes in case he has a particularly slobbery day.
- I went in March outside of the school holidays. There was only me booked on, but you may share your encounter with someone else.
- It’s an outdoor experience so make sure to dress for the weather.
- Whilst safari in Africa may be the ultimate dream for many people, this is a more affordable way to guarantee meeting the tall beasts, and the money from the experience will go back to the upkeep of the animals in the zoo.
- If you like an animal experience, maybe you’d be interested in walking an alpaca, or taking a virtual safari?
- Don’t forget your camera!