A state-of-the-art Giraffe Care Center broke ground at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Tuesday, with the facility to soon provide year-round care and new experiences for guests visiting the zoo’s tallest residents.VIDEO: Mickey the Penguin celebrates 41st ‘hatch’ day at Pittsburgh Zoo, Nov. 2025According to its website, the zoo said the center is anticipated to open in 2027 and will be designed in accordance with the “latest advancements in animal well-being standards.” The expanded space and new design will position the zoo to establish a giraffe breeding program, contributing to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. The zoo said the Giraffe Care Center will provide a “large dayroom and off-season viewing of these towering creatures.””Its flooring will feature a natural substrate that is easier on the joints,” the zoo said on its website. “An expanded giraffe yard with a direct connection to the new facility will streamline shifting procedures and allow for a longer outdoor season. The current water barrier in the giraffe habitat will be filled in and graded, doubling the current usable space. The building will also allow for the expansion of the zoo’s African animal residents with the introduction of additional species in the future.”The Giraffe Care Center will provide giraffes with the space and resources they need to thrive while offering guests a “more authentic, year-round experience that connects them to wild conservation efforts in Uganda, the Congo Basin, and beyond.”For more information, visit the zoo’s website here: Complex to Revolutionize Care of Gentle Giants
PITTSBURGH —
A state-of-the-art Giraffe Care Center broke ground at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Tuesday, with the facility to soon provide year-round care and new experiences for guests visiting the zoo’s tallest residents.
VIDEO: Mickey the Penguin celebrates 41st ‘hatch’ day at Pittsburgh Zoo, Nov. 2025
According to its website, the zoo said the center is anticipated to open in 2027 and will be designed in accordance with the “latest advancements in animal well-being standards.”
The expanded space and new design will position the zoo to establish a giraffe breeding program, contributing to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
The zoo said the Giraffe Care Center will provide a “large dayroom and off-season viewing of these towering creatures.”
“Its flooring will feature a natural substrate that is easier on the joints,” the zoo said on its website. “An expanded giraffe yard with a direct connection to the new facility will streamline shifting procedures and allow for a longer outdoor season. The current water barrier in the giraffe habitat will be filled in and graded, doubling the current usable space. The building will also allow for the expansion of the zoo’s African animal residents with the introduction of additional species in the future.”
The Giraffe Care Center will provide giraffes with the space and resources they need to thrive while offering guests a “more authentic, year-round experience that connects them to wild conservation efforts in Uganda, the Congo Basin, and beyond.”
For more information, visit the zoo’s website here: Complex to Revolutionize Care of Gentle Giants