June 21 is more than the first day of summer -- it's also National Giraffe Day. 

We provide tree trimmings to feed giraffes at both the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend through our “Branch to Browse” Program. Browse is a branch with leaves on it and is a standard term for zoos. The browse is key to enriching the lives of the animals and reinforcing natural behaviors. Many animals eat the leaves, and browse may also be used as part of furnishing their exhibits.

Did you know a giraffe can eat up to 25 to 50 pounds of browse a day? The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo has four giraffes, and four male giraffes call the Potawatomi Zoo home. If you do the math, that’s a lot of greenery and tree trimming. But that’s where we come in to help. 

Our forestry crews work hard to keep power lines clear of trees and brush. We’re on a four-year tree trimming cycle in Indiana and a five-year trimming cycle in Michigan. As crews cut back threats to power lines and equipment, they look for non-toxic branches with leaves, or what the zoo calls “browse”, as well as hollow logs and perching materials for zoo animals. We then deliver the fresh trimmings to the zoos.

Animal Care staff at each zoo inspects and delivers the branches and leaves to the animals, especially the giraffes. The “Branch to Browse” program helps save the zoos hundreds of thousands of dollars and provides a critical part of the giraffes’ diet. For example, last month, more than 8,700 visitors fed the giraffes, especially Kellan, at the Potawatomi Zoo. The other three male giraffes are warming up to visitors, but in the meantime they depend heavily on our tree trimming deliveries.

So, what are the giraffes’ favorite leaves to munch on? Mulberry, Hackberry, Elm and Maple.

You can learn more about our tree trimming efforts here.