The Chattanooga Zoo’s giraffe herd has arrived.
The Chattanooga Zoo received three male reticulated giraffes from the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans. The three bulls, George, Porter and Hardee Star, lived together as a herd at the center.
A professional carrier transported the giraffes to Chattanooga after working with both facilities to ensure the safety and comfort of the animals and plan the best route. “The whole herd is doing well and acclimating to their new home,” says a news release from the zoo.
Reticulated giraffes are a subspecies of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. They have a limited range across northern Kenya and small populations in the southern regions of Somalia and Ethiopia.
Habitat deconstruction and poaching threaten reticulated giraffes, which number about 15,780 in the wild.
“This is by far the greatest achievement to date for the little petting zoo I joined almost 35 years ago,” says Darde Long, Chattanooga Zoo president and CEO. “We have achieved a towering feat few had dreamed was possible.”
The public can view the zoo’s giraffes inside their newly constructed giraffe barn or in their outdoor yard.
Source: Chattanooga Zoo