ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Earlier this month, two new Masai giraffes arrived at the Seneca Park Zoo from the San Diego Zoo. A viewer asked, “How do you get two giraffes from San Diego to Rochester?”

David Hamilton, general curator of the Seneca Park Zoo, says the cross-country trip took about 44 hours.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done up front to set everything up and make sure everything fits together,” he said. “We work with an animal transporter, professionals who do this all the time, and they have a special trailer built specifically for giraffes.”

There were at least three people on the trip with three-year-old female Kura and one-year-old male Elliot.

“They stop and check on them every now and then to make sure they’re doing well, communicate with both parties letting them know what’s going on and where they are and update the estimated time of arrival,” Hamilton said.

Taking into account the growth of the animals and the characteristics of their movement, the drivers carefully planned their route.

“We made sure they knew about our low bridge on St. Paul and didn’t go that route,” Hamilton said.

Giraffes are critically endangered and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums hopes this move will help them survive.

“The reason Kura came here was for a breeding recommendation with our male, so we will have a breeding herd with J.D., Iggy and Kura,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said the new giraffes are adapting well to their new habitat and getting along well with the rest of the tower.

“Once they get here, we open the barn, making sure the other animals are where they need to be when that happens, and then we open the trailer doors and then let them get out, come into the barn and get used to it. to the barn and to his new friends at the Seneca Park Zoo,” he said.

The Animals of Savannah building opens from time to time as the animals continue to adjust. If you happen to see them, you’ll be able to tell the two new giraffes apart from the rest of the tower by color – right now, Elliot and Kura are a little darker in color than Iggy, Olmsted, and J.D.

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