A new 10-month-old giraffe named Clementine has arrived at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. The female giraffe came from Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri. Clementine’s mother is a Rothschild’s giraffe and her father is a Reticulated giraffe. Around six feet at birth, she currently stands tall at around ten feet.
Clementine is currently off exhibit completing the standard quarantine for all new animals. Once her quarantine and acclimation period is complete, she will join the zoo’s two giraffes, Kiah and Kizzie and zebras in the giraffe yard. This move is part of a managed population strategy and coordinated effort with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums to enhance conservation of this species in the wild.
About Giraffes:
Giraffe are an iconic species of Africa and in about 100 AZA-accredited zoos. They have been going through a silent crisis in the past few years in that their numbers in the wild have decreased dramatically with little notice. Threats include habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, population growth, and poaching. AZA-accredited zoos and their partners are working collectively to help save giraffes through education, scientific research, fieldwork, public awareness and action.
