​As previously announced, since January 1, 2021, we have been keeping Giraffe giraffe "Jill" isolated from the herd and in isolation. As the cold weather passed and March arrived, we observed him heartily eating plants such as Japanese evergreen oak growing near the small enclosure, and coming close to the large enclosure to try and communicate with Giraffe in the herd.

Jill, who had been living a carefree life on her own, returned to Giraffe herd in mid-April this year, bringing her approximately three-and-a-half-month solitude to an end.

Jill (far left), who lives alone, and a herd of Giraffe. (Date of photo: April 6, 2021)	Jill eating a Japanese evergreen oak along the small enclosure. (Date of photo: April 9, 2021)

Just before the isolation, Jill frequently chased after females in estrus, often intimidating and driving away other individuals. So, we carefully observed how Jill would behave upon returning to the group after a long absence. She continues to diligently check for females in estrus, as before, but attacks and intimidation of other individuals have decreased, and she seems to be settling in calmly as a member of the group. In particular, her aggressive behavior towards the young has almost completely disappeared, so the little ones can now nurse without Jill interfering and can live in peace. However, she occasionally chases and lightly necks a 14-year-old female named Eucalyptus, and Eucalyptus seems to be keeping her distance from Jill. Nevertheless, there have been no fierce attacks like last year, and the situation is no longer as tense as before.


Jill recently (third from the left)
(Date of photo: August 19, 2021)
At Tama Zoo 's Eurasian Moorhen, the focus has always been on showcasing Giraffe herds, and this has been the primary focus of their breeding and exhibition for many years. Therefore, keeping an adult male Giraffe alone for an extended period like this was extremely rare in the past. For this reason, we carefully observed him daily and managed his health, but Jill remained healthy throughout and spent each day peacefully. We were concerned that being suddenly separated from the herd might stress him out, but there were no signs of this being a cause for concern. He could always see Giraffe in the large enclosure during the day, which may have been beneficial.

Perhaps the time spent away from the group worked, because now, nearly four months after returning, Jill has been behaving calmly without causing any major trouble. Jill boasts an impressive physique, but as a male, he is still in the process of growing. We hope he continues to grow up healthy and strong, but ideally, we would also like him to remain in his current calm state.

[Tama Zoo, Tama Zoological Park]

(August 27, 2021)