Reticulated Giraffe Archives

If you’ve ever wondered if animals have blood types, you’re not the only one! The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (The Giraffe Center), recently teamed up with Dr. Lily Parkinson, clinical veterinarian at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, and several more giraffe care teams to help find out. Dr. Parkinson is leading a study to see if giraffe have different blood types and if it is common for giraffe to have compatible blood types.

“In small animal emergency medicine, blood typing is common knowledge,” said Brenda Cordova, RVT, hospital manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “In our larger zoo animals, we’ve never really had the opportunity to find out, because we haven’t had as much access to test their blood on a large scale like this. Now that so many giraffe are trained to participate in voluntary blood draws, this could lead to some really exciting discoveries that help us fine-tune giraffe care even more.”

Dr. Parkinson says different molecules that live on the surface of red blood cells make one blood type different from another – in people and in animals. An animal’s immune system can attack anything it perceives is a ‘foreign invader.’ If the immune system detects different molecules on transfused blood cells, the body might attack those red blood cells and destroy them.

Typically, before a blood transfusion, care teams will draw the recipient’s blood and mix it with a drop of already processed plasma from the donor. Veterinary teams will watch for reactions between the two bloods and move ahead if there are no obvious negative reactions.

“Many people know about the incredible nationwide giraffe plasma bank that can help treat newborn giraffe calves that need extra help,” said Dr. Parkinson. “The findings from this blood typing study could take that science another step further to help us give these calves the most compatible and helpful plasma transfusions.”

This study hopes to reveal how to test giraffe for compatible blood types. If giraffe do have different blood types, giraffe care teams could do additional testing to have better confirmations that a donor’s blood isn’t going to harm the recipient.

To achieve dependable findings in a study like this, you need a lot of data. In this case, that requires a lot of giraffe willing to donate their blood. Dr. Parkinson reached out to Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at The Giraffe Center and giraffe care co-manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, to help her enlist volunteers.

“When Dr. Lily reached out for potential contributors for this study, it was a perfect example of how The Giraffe Center can serve as a central resource for all things giraffe care,” said Schilz. “Because we have worked with so many giraffe care teams across the country, we already knew which herds are trained to give blood voluntarily, and we knew how to get everyone together for this important study that supports what we all want: to take the best care possible of giraffe.”

A few phone calls and a multi-zoo video conference later, 13 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and one private facility were on board to contribute to the study. In the end, around 60 giraffe voluntarily submitted blood for the study.

Seven of those samples came from giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Schilz, the giraffe care team in African Rift Valley and the CMZoo veterinary team came together over a few days to gather those samples, leaning on their established training and relationships with the long-necked donors named Mashama, Msitu, Twiga, Bailey, Laikipia, Muziki and 1-year-old Wednesday.

“This was Wednesday’s first time giving blood, and she was incredible,” said Schliz. “There was a hush that fell over the barn when we saw her approach her team with such trust and remain completely unbothered throughout the session. This little giraffe is already making a big impact. We are so impressed with her.”

The blood draw sessions are voluntary and the participating giraffe at CMZoo are eager to earn the reinforcers – usually yummy rye crackers – they receive during training sessions. They can choose to walk away at any time, and our veterinary technicians use a specialized blood draw setup so the needle falls out if the giraffe walks away.

“It goes to show how important it is to proactively train for these volunteer behaviors,” said Cordova. “Training allows us to take the best care of the animals as individuals, and it also allows us to respond to these calls to contribute to the greater giraffe community’s shared knowledge.”

As giraffe care teams learn more about blood typing for giraffe, CMZoo will share updates.

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Six life-sized bronze giraffe sculptures will welcome guests to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, as part of the new admissions and giraffe habitat updates happening in the coming years – and their creation is a tall order.

“I’ve been using a lot of ladders,” said Antonia Chastain, public art manager at CMZoo. “These are the largest sculptures I’ve ever done, and it’s quite a process. We have probably years ahead of us in this creation. But it’s exciting to see the first one coming together now, and the plan is to unveil them as part of the hundred-year anniversary of the Zoo, in 2026.”

The sculptures started as six-inch clay thumbnail sketches. Once the team was happy with the general design, Chastain sculpted detailed four-foot clay maquettes. To create the most lifelike sculptures, she relied on the expertise of the giraffe team to portray giraffe attitudes and postures correctly.

Chastain spends weeks with the CMZoo giraffe team, leaning on the giraffe herd’s voluntary hoof care behaviors to measure the giraffe. They measure from hoof to knee, around the diameters of their calves, the lengths of their tails, legs, necks and more, to get the proportions right in the maquettes phase. Known for her attention to detail, Chastain also meticulously studied and sculpted eyelid wrinkles, hair, hoof texture, spots and skin folds.

“Then, you need to make sure the four-foot models’ knees and ankles are proportional, because if you enlarge them to five times the size for the final sculptures, you could end up with knees that look like elephant knees above ankles made for giraffe,” said Chastain. “It’s so important that the proportions are correct.”

To create the next size up, the foundry artists scan the four-foot clay models into a 3-D printer that produces foam pieces five times their size – one piece at a time. The foam pieces are reconstructed into a life-sized full giraffe, then Chastain reapplies a layer of clay to the huge replicas. Once every detail is carved back into the clay, the team casts each piece in bronze and welds them together.

The one being sculpted in its final size now is posed bending down to nuzzle her calf, and she is ten feet tall at the curve of her neck. The other mother giraffe sculptures are posed more upright, and will be around 18 feet tall when they’re finished.

As of now, the plan is to create three visual stories of mother giraffe and their calves. The statue of Penny, a giraffe calf who inspired millions during her short life at CMZoo, will move from its current location by the giraffe barn to become part of this larger display. The three mother giraffe and two additional giraffe calf statues are not representations of any individual giraffe. However, especially attentive giraffe fans might notice spot patterns, poses or ossicone shapes inspired by other giraffe from CMZoo.

“The various poses are homages to their nurturing instinct and the special connection between mother and baby,” said Chastain. “One set is stretching towards each other to nuzzle face-to-face and there’s a line between their necks that’s just beautiful form and flow. The third pair is a nod to when kids are little and they’re shy to meet someone new. Their instinct is to lean against mom for security, kind of a ‘hold my hand’ feel.”

As the sculptures continue to take shape and eventually make their way to the Zoo, CMZoo will share updates.

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February is International Hoof Care Month, so come behind the scenes for an up-close look at giraffe hoof care training! Hoof care is important for the overall health of all hoofstock animals. Brushing, picking, and trimming contribute to maintaining healthy hooves, directly influencing the health of a giraffe’s entire body. At CMZoo, keepers have built trust with the giraffe herd through positive reinforcement, offering them the choice to train with their favorite crackers or walk away.

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In early November, the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Giraffe Center) traveled to Bristol Zoo, in the United Kingdom, to host their first giraffe care workshop abroad. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo established The Giraffe Center in 2022 to serve as a resource for giraffe caregivers worldwide.

“We have hosted giraffe care workshops all over the U.S. and virtually with teams in other countries, but Bristol Zoo’s workshop was our first international in-person outreach,” said Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at The Giraffe Center. “It’s really helpful for us to work hands-on with teams and their giraffe herds in their facilities. Our training and care teachings share a common foundation, but we can understand their challenges and obstacles better when we experience them, which means we’re better able to customize their training.”

Through their combined decades in the giraffe care field, The Giraffe Center team had previous working relationships with a Bristol Zoo giraffe keeper, who managed logistics for the workshop in England so The Giraffe Center team could focus on the 4-day workshop curriculum. Attendees included Bristol Zoo’s giraffe care team and British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Giraffe Focus Group members. The workshop included lecture-style presentations, group discussions, role-playing and actual practice focused on giraffe nutrition, natural behaviors, hoof anatomy and care, and positive reinforcement training.

“Just like when we’re training animals, we use small approximations to move through training steps with our workshop attendees,” said Diana Miller, giraffe specialist at The Giraffe Center. “Before we start training with the giraffe, we practice hands-on with humans, so we’re presenting the best polished training to the giraffe. Instead of realizing questions you need to ask while you’re working with a giraffe, you can recognize what you don’t know while you’re practicing with a human.”

Practicing hoof care on humans isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Attendees move through the motions they will present to giraffe, with Schilz and Miller guiding them. They role play where they’ll stand, where the giraffe needs to stand, how they’ll hold their target stick and hoof trimming tools, how they’ll deliver verbal and physical cues, how they’ll access reinforcers – like crackers or carrots – and how quickly to reinforce the right behaviors. They also practice trimming hooves on cadaver hooves from reputable sources.

“The fact that Bristol Zoo invested in this workshop shows how dedicated their team is,” said Schilz. “When we started working with their giraffe, it was even more obvious how strong their relationships are with their keepers. The Bristol Zoo giraffe were comfortable, social and engaged, and that gives us a great foundation to build upon with new or different techniques.”

In positive reinforcement training, one of the first questions The Giraffe Center team asks themselves is, ‘what does the animal need to know in order to know something else?’ Because giraffe are often food motivated, the first thing they need to know is how to eat politely.

“Teaching a giraffe to eat and stay still while they’re eating is a prerequisite for blood draws, ultrasounds, hoof care and more voluntary behaviors,” said Miller. “It’s a lot harder than you think to teach that. You’re learning to communicate as a giraffe-caregiver team, and you’re finding a balance between maintaining their excitement for the reward food item and teaching them they can trust that we will deliver it when they stand still.”

The teams worked together to make progress on hoof care, stand-still behavior, target training and more. They also shared insight on giraffe nutrition and natural foraging behaviors, and other topics central to good giraffe welfare in human care.

The Giraffe Center team’s experience with their first overseas workshop further ignited their passion for giraffe care and for supporting the people who can truly make a difference in setting the standard for excellent giraffe care.

“In 2015, when we were starting training programs, we were focused on showing people what’s possible,” said Schilz. “Now, we’re really honing our teaching skills. We’re constantly pursuing education, connecting with other experts in our field and sharing what we’re learning, so we can be the best central resource for other giraffe organizations.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo made an investment in The Giraffe Center that gives all giraffe caregivers access to a dedicated team focused entirely on giraffe care and conservation.

“The more we host these workshops, the more we learn and share,” said Miller. “It’s all about creative collaboration. We take the same science and apply it differently depending on the animals, humans and environment they are in. That’s our goal for the Giraffe Center – to be a custom-built resource for other giraffe care teams.”

The Giraffe Center is booking workshops for giraffe care teams and giraffe enthusiasts globally. For more information, visit cmzoo.org/giraffecare.

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They may be tall but Viv, Kay, and Wednesday are the littles of the giraffe herd. Their zoomies, curiosity and bold personalities breathe energy into the herd. Viv, Kay and Wednesday are besties and munch, nap, play and even train together. Each giraffe is at a slightly different level of hoof care training and blood draw training but they are all learning how to voluntarily participate in their own healthcare.

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– IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO –
Step up to the hoof block with Wednesday, our 10-month-old reticulated giraffe. As students around Colorado head back to school from summer break, our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado have provided some excellent tips for helping kids settle into the routine.

At CMZoo, keeper teams help animals succeed as students, too! 10 months old may seem young to start studying, but Wednesday’s team wasted no time helping her learn foundational husbandry behaviors that will allow her to voluntarily participate in her own healthcare for the rest of her life.

Way to go, Wednesday!

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Mahali, a 20-year-old male giraffe at CMZoo, is showing signs of reduced mobility and range of motion. While his care team supports him with pain medications and a sand-mix stall to rest comfortably on each night, veterinary and animal care teams have made the decision to move into a mindset of providing hospice care for him. This is a difficult decision for his team.

“He’s still having more good days than bad days, and although we know how quickly that could change, we’re focused on giving him every possible bonus day he can comfortably have,” said Jason Bredahl, animal care manager in African Rift Valley at CMZoo. “That also means we have decided not to provide extreme medical intervention going forward.”

Mahali has benefitted from his medical team going to great lengths for him in the past. For many years, he voluntarily participated in training for hoof care, blood draws and even applying orthopedic shoes to his hooves. In 2017 and 2020, Mahali went under anesthesia to receive simultaneous multiple treatments for his reoccurring foot and leg issues. Those risky, meticulously planned procedures successfully helped him heal and return to a good quality of life.

“Without his most recent treatment, in 2020, we might not have had these last three years with him,” said Bredahl. ” Mahali is doing well, considering his individual challenges, but we know he won’t be here forever and his time may come sooner than later. Right now, we’re committed to making him comfortable, and providing opportunities to be as active as possible and social with his herd.”

Mahali takes oral anti-inflammation and pain medications – in yummy rye cracker-and-honey ‘sandwiches.’ His team tracks quality-of-life data markers that they discuss regularly to ensure Mahali is still able to do things that fulfill him as a giraffe and as an individual. The team tracks Mahali’s specific activities daily and overnight, so they can adjust medications or activity levels for him as needed.

“We want to see Mahali finding areas to stand and rest more comfortably, interacting with the herd, walking, eating, sleeping, lying down and getting up safely,” said Bredahl. “On days we see he’s a little stiffer, we might encourage him to stay in the barn on a nice soft sand-mix stall, and he may agree that it’s a rest day or he may decide to go outside. He still participates and moves to spaces when we ask him, but he’s still making choices in his care.”

Mahali’s care team says he’s still making them laugh with his antics, too. He may have slowed down as he has aged, but they still see a twinkle in his eye and respect his position in the herd.

“When he was younger, he was a very physical giraffe,” said Brehahl. “He was tactile in those days, and he would push other giraffe out of the way to position himself front-and-center with his care team. He’d pull on our shirts with his lips to get our attention, and to interact with us and get snacks. These days, he seems more content in his own space.”

Mahali’s keepers say he has become more discerning in his golden years, and he only accepts certain food items as training rewards. If they offer lettuce as an incentive, he spits it out with a seemingly intentional aim for the keeper who offered it to him. Then he huffs at them until they reset for a behavior that will earn him his favorite: rye crackers. They have to save the crackers for the big training asks, like curling his hoof on the hoof block so they can visually check his feet, but Mahali doesn’t miss an opportunity to remind them he’d rather not waste his time on lettuce.

“You’ve got to admire the guy – he knows his worth,” said Bredahl. “He’s a big giraffe and a big presence in the herd, and we’re grateful for every day we will have with him.”

Mahali is one of five giraffe in CMZoo’s herd over the age of 20 – four years and more over the median life expectancy. Nearly one-third of the herd is considered aging. Females Muziki (25), Amani (24), Twiga (23) and Lakeisha (23) are the eldest members of the herd, and all receive various levels of care for age-related issues, depending on their individual needs.

The median life expectancy for a giraffe, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 16 years. Until recent data, which combines the median life expectancy for males and females, the AZA median life expectancy for a male giraffe was 14.7 years.

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On Wednesday, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said goodbye to Msichana [muh-SCHAW-nuh], a nearly 21-year-old female reticulated giraffe. After months of successful treatment for age-related issues, Msichana declined quickly over her last two days, and her care team made the difficult, but compassionate, decision to humanely euthanize her.

Msichana was well-known among CMZoo members and online fans, with her signature tongue-out appearance and her role as a companion to newborn calves and new members of the herd. She was born at CMZoo in 2002, and had one male calf of her own, named Kipawa, in 2013.

Because she was composed and confident, she was the herd’s welcome committee. New herd members would arrive and join her in a quiet part of the barn, and she was usually the first to meet newborn giraffe with their moms.
Being social animals, new giraffe found comfort in Msichana’s presence, and they could learn their way around the barn and yard by following her guidance as they settled in. When newborn calves were ready to start meeting other members of the herd, she was first – and even had sleepovers with moms and calves in the barn’s nursery stall.

“There were a lot of reasons to admire Msichana, but I think we’re most grateful for her contributions to our herd and to our knowledge of giraffe care,” said Savannah Woods, animal keeper in African Rift Valley. “She had a really special calm and nurturing demeanor. For calves and new giraffe, she made their first experience with us a safe one, and their relationships with her gave them the confidence to meet some of the more energetic giraffe in the herd. We could always count on Msichana to act as a ‘nanny,’ showing calves that other giraffe are friends, and helping new moms feel comfortable with their calves meeting other giraffe.”

Msichana’s role as a guide also translated to her relationship with her keepers. Most animals at CMZoo participate in voluntary husbandry training, and Msichana was one of the best. She participated in hoof care, stood for x-rays and allowed her team to take blood draws. She was an excellent learner, but, “Mishy Girl,” as her keepers called her, also taught her care team valuable lessons about training giraffe. Those lessons have shaped their training program and benefitted giraffe around the world, through the Zoo’s International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe workshops and in-person giraffe trainings.

“She was definitely sweet and gentle, but she was also assertive,” said Woods. “I was lucky to have all of my ‘firsts’ as a giraffe trainer with ‘Mishy Girl.’ Because she was so clear about communicating what she needed from us or didn’t want to do, she set the bar for individualizing care for animals. She showed us that we can’t train one giraffe and presume we know how to train all giraffe. They’re individuals, and they need individual training and care programs. We owe a lot of our ability to read animals’ behaviors to what she taught us.”

Msichana was typically eager to train, but Woods also recalls being humbled by Msichana’s clear communication of her priorities.

“One day, a few guests were feeding her lettuce in the barn and after a little while, I asked her to come over to train with me,” said Woods. “She turned her ears back toward me, clearly hearing me calling her, and then turned and looked at me. She was weighing her options. It was an easy decision and she turned right back to the guests and stayed with them. When they left, she came right over to train, but she let me know who was in charge, for sure. I love that she knew she could make that choice, and that she knew she could say ‘no’.”

Because she was a strong and social ambassador with guests, Msichana has helped hundreds of thousands of people make special connections with her species, during her time on the mountain. She taught other giraffe how to do that, too, so her legacy as a teacher in the herd will live on through them and through the guests that come and fall in love with her species.

“I would call it a once-in-a-lifetime relationship, and she was a once-in-a-lifetime giraffe,” said Woods.

The median life expectancy for giraffe in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is nearly 16 years. Msichana would have turned 21 on Sept. 21, 2023.

About Giraffe Conservation

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes giraffe as vulnerable to extinction, while two northern subspecies are considered critically endangered. Reticulated giraffe (the subspecies found at CMZoo) and Masai giraffe are endangered. According to recent reports, wild giraffe populations have grown 20 percent since 2015, with around 117,000 individual wild giraffe documented. But, there’s still work to be done.

Every visit to CMZoo is conservation in action. 75¢ from every ticket goes to the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program, which has raised more than $4.5 million for frontline conservation efforts around the world since 2008, including for giraffe conservation efforts.

Q4C helps support a multi-organizational giraffe conservation project in Uganda, called Operation Twiga. Operation Twiga began in 2016 to give giraffe a better chance of survival by establishing new populations of giraffe in safe habitats, in partnership with Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Uganda Wildlife Authority and others. Operation Twiga V (2020) was a continuation of Operation Twiga IV (2019), which CMZoo staff attended to assist with anesthesia and moving the giraffe from threatened habitats to safer locations. Both giraffe translocations contributed to populations in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, an historic habitat in Uganda where giraffe hadn’t existed for more than 20 years. Ongoing Q4C funding supports the teams who continue to monitor and protect these newly established wild populations.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2023, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #4 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised more than $4.5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 238 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one

Kay, a one-year-old female giraffe from Lincoln Children’s Zoo (LCZ), arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on the evening of Wed., April 19, and she’s settling in well. She has shared space with Msichana and Muziki, and, this week, started introductions with other herd members through a protective barrier, including Ohe and Viv, who were very interested!

Just like people, animals respond to changes in their surroundings and routines, so it’s important to have a plan in place. Long before Kay arrived, her care teams at LCZ and CMZoo started working together to make her transition go as smoothly as possible. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado have advice for parents to teach their kids skills to navigate changes and advocate for their well-beings. At CMZoo, keepers do the same for their animals.

In anticipation of Kay’s arrival, the African Rift Valley team set up clean and comfortable spaces for her routine quarantine period, planned quarantine protocols and necessary sample collections with CMZoo’s veterinary team, chose 20-year-old giraffe, Msichana, as a friend to keep Kay company during quarantine, and worked with LCZ’s giraffe keeper team to learn all about her personality, training and tendencies.

CMZoo has welcomed a lot of giraffe over the years, so keepers know what works best for the entire herd, and they also take an individual giraffe’s needs into perspective once they arrive. What has made this move especially successful for Kay, so far, is the effort both teams put into her care.

“We have been in communication with Kay’s team at LCZ a lot,” said Savannah Woods, African Rift Valley keeper at CMZoo. “We feel really prepared to care for Kay as an individual because of the information they’ve been able to provide, because we have such extensive experience with giraffe, and because they have done such a great job preparing her for the move.”

Kay is the second giraffe ever born at Lincoln Children’s Zoo, and the first to move to another location. Jake Beiermann, primary giraffe keeper at LCZ, has worked with Kay since she was born. He traveled to CMZoo with Kay to help her settle in and to spend a few days with the keeper team at CMZoo.

“We know CMZoo is big on voluntary husbandry training, so we wanted Kay to be prepared with some basic behaviors so she could get going into the routine right away,” said Beiermann. “Before her big road trip, we also exposed her to a lot of new and different situations so she could learn that new things didn’t need to be scary. When she arrived and met a new care team, a new giraffe herd, a new location and whole new routine, she was confident and adaptable. She’s very confident.”

Because Kay needed to be bottle fed as a baby at LCZ, she is extremely outgoing and comfortable with people. She gently and eagerly approaches her new keeper team through a protective barrier and enthusiastically investigates new spaces and enrichment activities at CMZoo.

“I think she’s going to be a fantastic ambassador for her species, and because our Zoo does so much to get guests close to animals, I think she’s going to enjoy that setup,” said Woods. “LCZ has done amazing work with her training. She’s only a year old, and she’s already positioning her foot on the hoof care block, so we’re excited to continue that because husbandry is such a big part of our program at CMZoo.”

Once Kay receives the medical all-clear from the CMZoo veterinary team, she will start to meet other members of the herd. Once she’s comfortable with that, her care team will continue increasing the number of giraffe she’ll share space with, and the spaces she’ll explore. Kay lived with two other calves at LCZ and spent much of her time running and playing with them, so CMZoo’s team has high hopes for her buddying up with six-month-old Wednesday, 4-year-old Viv, 4-year-old Ohe, and 5-year-old Panya.

“I’m excited to see her out with the big herd when the time is right,” said Beiermann. “I couldn’t ask for her to go to a better place than CMZoo. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know the CMZoo crew, and I know she’s in the best hands. Hopefully we’ll get to see her contribute to the Giraffe Species Survival Plan with her own babies someday, and that our efforts to save her as a calf were all leading to good things in the future.”

CMZoo will provide updates on Kay as she continues to settle in at CMZoo.

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Welcome, Kay! The newest member of the tower has arrived, and she’s settling in with confidence and curiosity. Kay, a one-year-old female giraffe from Lincoln Children’s Zoo, arrived at CMZoo the evening of Wed., April 19.

Because Kay needed to be bottle fed as a baby, she is extremely outgoing and comfortable with people, which we hope will make her an incredible ambassador for her species. She gently and eagerly approaches her new keeper team through a protective barrier and enthusiastically investigates new spaces and enrichment activities at CMZoo.

Kay’s road trip went well, and she’s adjusting to her new home comfortably. Keepers say Kay stepped off of her trailer and into the barn like she’d done it a hundred times. LCZ’s team did a great job preparing her for this new adventure. A keeper from LCZ traveled with Kay to CMZoo and will stay for a few days to help her new keeper team get to know her.

While she completes a routine quarantine period, guests might see her in a back room of the barn or exploring the north giraffe yard near the meerkats in African Rift Valley. Kay is rooming with Msichana, a 20-year-old female giraffe whose calm and cooperative nature makes her a great first friend for Kay.

She can see, hear and smell most of the rest of the herd through fencing when they’re in the barn, and all involved seem quite interested in meeting. Ohe has been watching her from afar, and Wednesday seemed to stop in her tracks and stare at Kay when she first noticed her. Once Kay clears quarantine, her care team will introduce her to more members of the herd.

Please join us in welcoming Kay to CMZoo! We’ll keep you posted as she continues to settle in.