The Influence of Sex on the Yield and Chemical Composition of the Organs of Young Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa angolensis)

Abstract

In Africa, offal is a cheap source of protein and is regularly consumed. The yields and proximate analyses of 15 giraffe (eight male, seven female) were evaluated. The only significant differences of offal weights between sexes were for the head with tongue (P = 0.011), feet (P = 0.006), and kidneys (P = 0.045), with each being heavier for males than females. However, as a percentage of the total dead weight, there were no significant differences between sexes. The study also looked at the proximate composition of the heart, liver, kidneys, and tongue. The moisture % averaged ∼76%, protein % averaged ∼17%, total fat % averaged ∼5% and the ash % averaged ∼1% for all organs across both sexes. While sex only had an effect on the ash content (P = 0.038), organ type had an effect on all parameters (P < 0.001). Red offal had a favourably high protein content as well as a low fat content, which, when combined with the high yields thereof per animal, indicates that giraffe offal can serve as a source of low-cost protein.