BALTIMORE, MD – The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) herd at Maryland Zoo has a brand new member. A three year-old female has arrived from another Association for Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo and is quietly settling into her new home.
The giraffe is not currently visible to the public while she goes through a standard quarantine and gets to know the Zoo’s two other giraffes. In the meantime the Giraffe House is closed to the public. The male giraffe will be visible outside during nice weather.
“Giraffes are naturally cautious animals so we’re giving our new female plenty of time to get acclimated,” said Erin Cantwell Grimm, Mammal Curator at the Maryland Zoo. “She’s already been introduced to our older female, Kesi, who is a calming influence and we’re pleased with how well she’s doing.”
Once the new giraffe is comfortable in her new environment, keepers will slowly expose it to outside people in increasingly larger groups, first with Zoo staff and then the general public.
In the meantime, anyone who donates $100 or more to the Zoo is entered for a chance to name the new giraffe. The money raised will directly support care of the new animal and the Zoos wildlife conservation programs. To donate, or for more information about how to support Maryland Zoo and its animal care, please visit www.MarylandZoo.org/news.
Once the giraffe is visible to the public it will be easy to spot her in the herd. At 12 feet tall, she is smaller than the Zoo’s other female, Kesi, who is 14 feet tall and its male, Caesar, who is just shy of 16 feet tall. She also has slightly whiter coloring around her face.
The giraffe was transported in a special trailer that accommodates her height. She was joined on the ride by two addra gazelle (Nanger dama), who are currently in quarantine behind the scenes before joining the rest of the antelope herd in the African Journey section of the Zoo.
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