Kinda (rhymes with Linda) arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on May 27, 2025. She’s easy to spot in the herd because she’s currently the smallest, and her coat is a darker brown than others. The 1-year-old female giraffe is impressing her keepers with her confidence and adaptability.
“She may be the smallest in the herd, but she is certainly holding her own,” Jake Beiermann, African Rift Valley giraffe keeper, says. “It’s normal for established members of a herd to be curious about new giraffe, and some are more tactile than others in their approach. Kinda is super laid back, and she just rolls with whatever is going on around her with confidence.”
Some giraffe have been seen nuzzling Kinda, like Panya, a 7-year-old female. Ohe (pronounced OH-hee) is a 6-year-old male giraffe with a reputation for paying extra attention to the littlest members of the herd. Jake has seen Ohe positioning himself between Kinda and other members of the herd who might not understand personal space. Others have followed Kinda around, like 3-year-old Kay, who seems keen to get Kinda to respond to little nudges.
While she settles in, Kinda spends evenings – when keepers check in overnight via surveillance cameras, but aren’t there to watch continuously – with Muziki (27), Laikipia (18), and Amani (25) – or some combination of that group. Giraffe are social animals, and are most comfortable in groups. In the future, Kinda and her ‘nanny giraffe’ will return to spending the nights with the full herd, but they are comfortable in a smaller group for now.
Kinda seems mostly focused on getting to know her surroundings, and she has been confidently exploring since the moment she stepped off the trailer and into the barn.
“It’s so much fun to see her in the yard, exploring every inch of the space,” Jake says. “She’s so little compared to the others. She’ll stand next to Tumbili, who is about two-and-a-half times her size, but she’s right up there at the fences, stretching up as high as she can to take lettuce from guests.”
[Pro tip: Kinda and the shorter giraffe can more easily reach guests’ lettuce offerings near the drawbridge by the giraffe barn.]
Kinda has been outgoing with giraffe, guests, members and her keeper team. Jake says Kinda is eager to get close to keepers in the barn, with a fence between them for safety.
“She’s already a great ambassador for her species because she’s so interested in people,” Jake says. “It’s exciting to see the future of our herd, and to see how our new Giraffe Center will support giraffe who grow up in that space.”
Kinda is one of three giraffe in the herd under the age of four, along with Wednesday (3) and Kay (3). The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe, opening in 2026, was designed with the latest innovations and knowledge to support giraffe wellbeing and care. Kinda and future calves will benefit from the giraffe care expertise gathered since the last CMZoo giraffe barn was built, 22 years ago. To learn more about the Giraffe Center, visit cmzoo.org/giraffeproject.
Kinda will continue to settle into the herd, exploring outdoors and indoors as she chooses and weather permits. Next time you’re at CMZoo, swing by the giraffe feeding, and visit the newest and littlest member of the tower!