This browser does not support the Video element.
Central Florida Zoo welcomes 2 female giraffes
The Central Florida Zoo has welcomed two new female giraffes, expanding one of its most popular animal exhibits.
SANFORD, Fla. - Two female giraffes have joined Gage at the Central Florida Zoo.
Gage will continue to reside in the main enclosure while the two females will go through recommended reproductive management protocols, according to the Central Florida Zoo.
Visitors will be able to meet them in fall of this year.
Two new giraffes relocate to Central Florida home
What we know:
The four-year-old giraffes can be seen in the back of the giraffe’s enclosure and will be able to meet guests after they settle into their new home.
"So far, they've been settling in really nice," Maggie Funk, senior hoofstock keeper at the Central Florida Zoo, said. "They seem really brave. And they've already been approaching keepers and taking snacks out of our hands."
Zoo staff anticipate the trio being separated for at least a month, Funk said.
The giraffes come from an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institution that wishes to remain anonymous, according to a Central Florida Zoo spokesperson.
The AZA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation, according to the AZA's website. The Central Florida Zoo has been accredited by the AZA since 1986, according to the Zoo's website.
What they're saying:
Erin Bussom, General Curator and the Central Florida Zoo, called these two new giraffes an exciting milestone for the zoo.
"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," Bussom said in a press release from the Central Florida Zoo.
Feed the giraffes this fall
What's next:
Starting later this fall, guests will be able to feed the two new giraffes alongside Gage, according to the Central Florida Zoo.
"If they're a little nervous, we might keep them in the back a little bit longer," Funk said. "So we'll kind of read their behavior and take the cues from them."
Feedings with Gage will continue as usual for visitors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
The names for the two new giraffes have yet to be chosen, though zoo staff will be coming up with names in the next couple of weeks.
The pair is around 13 feet tall – just slightly shorter than Gage, a male giraffe.
For more information on the Central Florida Zoo or to purchase tickets, visit the Central Florida Zoo’s website.
The Source: The information in this article was gathered from a press release from the Central Florida Zoo, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Central Florida Zoo's websites and information FOX 35 received in an email from the Central Florida Zoo's media contact.