Dallas-Fort Worth residents, new and old, are familiar with the Dallas Zoo’s iconic giraffe statue, which has been a staple in the community for many years.
But Dallas Morning News reader Katherine Homan asked Curious Texas: “What is the story behind the zoo’s giraffe?”
Let’s peel back the layers in the tale of the zoo’s beloved statue.
The statue has been standing for nearly three decades, said Dustin Crawford, assistant vice president of capital projects and facilities maintenance at the zoo. Construction on the bronzed beauty was announced in October of 1996, and it was installed on Jan. 22, 1997.
Curious Texas
The statue was designed to stand 50-55 feet tall with a 2-foot tall tongue, but Crawford said Larry Powell, a columnist with The News, suggested it be even taller. So it was.
According to Crawford, the statue now stands 67.5 feet tall, including about a 40-inch tongue. That makes it taller than Big Tex, which stands at about 55 feet tall.
For 20 years, the Dallas Zoo’s giraffe statue took the crown as the tallest statue in Texas. Today, Crawford said there are two or three statues that stand taller than the giraffe.
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The goal behind making the statue so tall was to make it a large visual marker, grabbing the attention of drivers as they passed the zoo. And mission accomplished, because the giraffe has served as a landmark and key part of the community for years.
“People from Dallas take a lot of pride in the statue,” Crawford said.
So what is it made of, and how did they get it in front of the zoo? It’s an easier process than you think.
Bob Cassilly, an artist and sculptor based in Missouri, designed and built the statue in his St. Louis studio. Crawford said the statue, made out of bonded bronze and plexiglass, was transported to Dallas in pieces on three flatbed trucks. Then it was assembled here. (No, it was not transported in one gigantic piece.)
And after nearly 30 years of standing, weathering many storms, the giraffe was due for a much-needed makeover. Last year, Dallas Zoo officials made the decision to refurbish the statue, as part of an investment into the zoo and its surrounding community. Work on it began in December and took about three weeks to complete.
The refurbishing gives it the shine you see now, Crawford said, and it should last a decade longer. Great for a photo opp.
Zoo officials say the best place to take a photo of the giraffe in its entirety is by the nearby McDonald’s, the elephant sculptures or at the Halperin Park overlook. People are also able to walk up and get close to the statue, but the photo won’t be that great. At best, you’ll get a hoof, they said.
“We are proud to have such an enduring and visible symbol of Dallas serve as an iconic welcome to Southern Dallas and the Dallas Zoo,” Dallas Zoo CEO Lisa New said. “For generations, the giraffe has been a familiar and beloved landmark for our community and a signal that visitors have arrived somewhere special.”