Giraffes at ZSL London Zoo

By Katherine Morten

I love giraffes so much that they almost became my ‘if I were an animal I would be’ instead of a penguin. But penguin did pip them to the post. Be that as it may, I could not pass up an opportunity to visit them at London Zoo.

I was lucky enough to attend a talk and presentation about them. Emma, a ZSL London Zoo Keeper, was kind enough to talk us through what it is like to be a giraffe in London and what it is like to be a keeper.

Giraffes are fascinating creatures with distinctive features such as their long necks. Emma said this makes it very difficult for them to bend down to low and drink water, though it makes for interesting viewing it can be uncomfortable for them. That is why the keepers at London Zoo try their best to make life as easy as they can for them.

Throughout the talk, Emma was feeding the three giraffes that were there. One feature that was obvious was their black tongues. The reason for this is, giraffes are used to being in high heat, and their tongues are thick and black to protect them from the sun. They would wrap them around the food that consisted of plants and inhale it within seconds, their tongues spread the length of 20 inches and are one of their strongest muscles.

Emma’s said she likes the fact they are clumsy looking animals, but she said these looks are deceiving. Surprising to me they are extremely fast, with speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

After her presentation Emma talked to us about what it is like to be a keeper at the Zoo. “I absolutely love my job, since I can’t have a giraffe as a pet for obvious reasons, I can see them every day here instead. I don’t see my job as work.”

There are only ever three giraffes at the Zoo at a time, as that is all the capacity allows. Each one has a different personality and each a different shape and size. “I shouldn’t pick a favourite as I love them all equally, but the littlest of the group is Milly and her cheeky behaviour brightens my day.”

“I feel like I have a special bond with her, probably because she is the most difficult and does not listen unless there is food around.”

The relationship between Emma and the animals is important, there are only 3 keepers that look after the giraffes, and this allows them to create a bond and trust.