Lehigh Valley Zoo welcomes new giraffe
Joshua, a 6-year-old male Masai giraffe has arrived at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, officials announced Friday.
Joshua, from Houston Zoo, will join 6-year-old male giraffe Tatu in the Masai giraffe habitat at the zoo in North Whitehall Township.
Joshua is 16 ½ feet tall, 2,000 pounds and still growing, zoo officials said.
“The Zoo is excited to introduce the newest member of our family to the Lehigh Valley community,” President & CEO Amanda Shurr said. “Visiting the Zoo is the best way for the community to support our animals and staff, and we cannot wait to reopen our feeding deck so that our guests can get up-close to feed both Tatu and Joshua.”
The zoo has created an introduction plan to help
Joshua and Tatu establish a bond. After his arrival, Joshua will have access to the giraffe barn so he can learn the lay of the land and settle into his new surroundings, officials said. Tatu will be able to investigate him through “howdy points,” which are designed to allow the pair to greet each other by choice.
Once both giraffes are comfortable, they will have more access to each other in different parts of the exhibit. This entire process will be monitored by the zoo’s senior keepers, curators and veterinarians.
Masai giraffes are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, primarily due to poaching and changes in land use. There is an estimated 35,000 Masai giraffes remaining, but their population has fallen by 50% over the last three decades, according to the news release. The number of Masai giraffes under human care in the U.S. is small, and the Giraffe Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums manages the population to ensure that it is healthy and genetically diverse so that the population thrives.
Giraffes are social animals, and can live in loose, unstable herds. These herds can vary from 10-20 individuals, although much larger herds have been observed. Individuals may join and leave the herd at will and there is no specific structure to the herd. Herds can be made up of all females, all males, or mixed genders of all ages. It is not uncommon for young males to form bachelor herds, and isolated individuals have been observed in the wild.
Adult male giraffes will establish dominance in the herd by sparring with one another. Sparring involves two individuals rubbing and intertwining their necks and heads. They will lean against each other to evaluate their opponent’s strength. Sparring may also include the two giraffes “necking” one another. Necking appears as the giraffe standing alongside one another and swinging their heads at the other giraffe. The strongest giraffe in this interaction will be established as the dominant male in the herd.
The Masai giraffe habitat was built in 2016 and guests can feed the giraffes through the Kiannala Feeding Deck. Joshua is accustomed to eating lettuce from guests as he did regularly at his prior home, officials said.
The zoo expects to announce the opening of the giraffe feeding deck in the near future.