The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens made a “big” announcement last week that two female giraffes would be joining its lineup of animals.
Standing at an estimated 13 feet tall, the two 4-year-old female giraffes arrived from another Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited facility. Guests can now see the pair in the habitat’s back area as they settle into their new home under the care of the zoo’s animal experts.
Gage, the zoo’s male giraffe, will continue to reside in the main habitat while the females complete “recommended reproductive management protocols” before all three are placed together, a change expected later this fall. The zoo’s team has not yet selected names for the new giraffes.
“Welcoming these two female giraffes is an exciting milestone for the zoo and a wonderful opportunity for our guests to connect with these incredible animals,” said Erin Bussom, the zoo’s general curator, in a news release. “Through our work with accredited zoological and conservation partners, we help support the long-term sustainability of giraffe populations while inspiring guests to learn more about the important role these animals play in the wild.”
Giraffe feedings with Gage will continue as usual, and later this fall, guests will have the chance to feed all three giraffes. Available daily from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the encounter brings the giraffe’s long neck down to eye level for guests, who can feed him lettuce. The experience costs $6 per person or $5 per annual passholder.
The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens recently welcomed two female giraffes to its lineup of animals. (Courtesy Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens)
Meanwhile, the zoo continues to care for sloths that were rescued from the abandoned Sloth World attraction and donated in April.
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