The harsh summer has passed, and autumn has arrived in Eurasian Moorhen area of Tama Zoo. Giraffe, who had been escaping the heat in the shade of the trees, are now able to roam freely around their enclosure in the cooler weather.

The young Giraffe, in particular, seem to have become interested in Scimitar-horned Oryx (hereinafter referred to as "oryx") that live in the same enclosure. When it's time for the oryx to come out into the enclosure, they start approaching the feeding area and the gate.

Among Giraffe, a four-year-old female named Hikari can often be seen following the oryx. Perhaps she likes the oryx, or maybe she considers herself one of them.


Hikari (Giraffe on the left) walks behind the Orix team.
Giraffe and oryx have been living in the same enclosure since June 25th of this year (2025), and so far there have been no major problems. Even when the large Giraffe crowd together, the oryx can slip through them to get to the feeding area.

However, when Giraffe become too persistent, the oryx can be seen pointing its horns at them in a threatening manner. It seems that one of the secrets to their good relationship is that the oryx are good at deflecting Giraffe' curiosity.


Oryx foraging at the feeding grounds, while Giraffe look on with great interest.
The reason Giraffe have started visiting the oryx's feeding area more frequently might be that their appetites have returned now that autumn has arrived.

With the idea of diverting Giraffe' attention from the oryx's feeding area, we decided to try a new approach: putting black locust and kudzu, which grow in the park and are leguminous plants similar to acacia that Giraffe like to eat in the wild, into gondola cages and giving them to the giraffes.

We have always fed giraffes branches and leaves by tying and securing them with rope, but it was difficult to secure thorny plants like black locust or vines like kudzu. By using baskets, we were able to feed them at a height that was easy for Giraffe to eat from. Giraffe were indeed engrossed in eating, and in the case of kudzu, the process of pulling the vines through the gaps in the mesh seemed to be a good stimulus for them.

Furthermore, even if the branches of the black locust tree are cut short and packed directly into the gondola, Giraffe skillfully use their tongues to roll up the leaves, leaving only the branches neatly behind when they've finished eating. By having Giraffe eat the plants, we were also able to make effective use of the leguminous plants that had grown abundantly in the park during the summer.


Giraffe pull kudzu from a gondola and forage for it.
As the weather cools down, the animals are moving around more, allowing for closer observation. During the "keeper talk" sessions held in front of the enclosures, you can watch Giraffe using their long tongues to wrap around leaves and eat them right before your eyes. Be sure to visit Eurasian Moorhen area and observe the relationships between the animals and how they forage.

*For information regarding the dates and times of Giraffe keeper talk, Tama Zoo Event Calendar Please check.

[Tama Zoo North Garden]

◎Related articles
・ Giraffe named "Hikari" will be visiting from Okinawa Children's Land. (October 11, 2023)
・ Eurasian Moorhen area has been renovated! (April 10, 2025)
・ Mixed exhibits to resume for the first time in eight years: Animals in Eurasian Moorhen Area (July 11, 2025)

(October 24, 2025)