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Understanding the daily activity patterns and social dynamics of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) is crucial for their management and conservation. In this study, a comprehensive 24-hour observational analysis of three female reticulated giraffes kept for three weeks at the Opel-Zoo in Kronberg, Germany, was conducted. Using infrared-sensitive cameras, the study captured behavioral data across baseline and two intervention phases involving changes in group composition. Social network analysis was performed using the Mantel test to assess changes in social interactions between day and night and across different study periods, while the MRQAP was applied to evaluate the influence of individual subtypes on the social structure. During the day, the giraffes exhibited a high level of activity, primarily engaging in walking, standing, and feeding behaviors. Diurnal resting was minimal, with sporadic lying phases. Night-time behavior was markedly different, with the giraffes spending most of the night lying down, interspersed with periods of feeding. The presence of a male giraffe during one intervention phase significantly altered diurnal activity patterns, increasing standing behaviors and decreasing feeding time. Social interactions, including nearest neighbor preferences, varied across day and night periods and changed with alterations in group composition. The study highlights the complexity of giraffe social dynamics and their adaptation to different social contexts. These findings provide valuable insights into the natural behavioral rhythms and social behaviors of giraffes, which are essential for effective zoo management and conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on mammalian resting and sleep behavior is conducted under controlled laboratory or zoo settings, with limited studies taking place in their natural habitats. To analyze these behaviors within a natural setting, actigraphy has been identified as a valuable method. This study sought to, firstly, measure inactivity and sleep in free-roaming Angolan giraffe (Giraffa giraffa angolensis) and, secondly, present their nocturnal behavioral rhythmicity. Three giraffe were fitted with an accelerometer-GPS device attached to an ossicone in November 2018 and behavioral data were collected daily between December 2018 and April 2019 to record their cranial movement. As giraffe show behavior specific head movements, sleep events could be detected as well as active and inactive behavior patterns. In this study, we analyzed how long giraffe were inactive during the night, how many sleep events they showed and for how long they were in the sleep position during the night. Giraffe were inactive for 490.8 ± 43.7 minutes during the night (from 19:00 to 7:00 local time), and a total of 857 sleep events were recorded with an average of 2.0 ± 1.0 events per night and total length of sleep per night averaged 8.6 ± 7.9 minutes. Further, results show a clear biphasic sleep profile during the night with peaks of inactivity and sleep events during the hours after sunset (21:00–23:00) and during the early morning hours before sunrise (3:00–5:00). We found individual differences for the number or sleep events, the total time sleeping as well as for inactivity. Interestingly, differences between months only were detected for inactivity. No differences were found for the number of sleep events nor for the total sleep time per night between months. For the first time, this study sheds light on the nocturnal sleep behavior and biphasic inactivity rhythm of giraffe in their natural habitat, providing additional support for previous findings indicating brief sleep episodes in giraffe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]