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Saturday, December 21: Both Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo will open at 12:00 p.m. to allow time for snow cleanup. Please travel safely!

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Welcome to the Kids' Corner

All About Animals

Masai Giraffe

  • giraffe

    Boston's tallest residents:

    Our giraffe are the tallest mammals in the city of Boston! Amari is likely full-grown at 14 feet, and Chad is about 16 feet tall!

  • giraffe

    Meet Chad:

    Chad, our male giraffe, was born in 2016. You can tell him apart from Amari, our female giraffe, by his coloring and height. Chad's coat is lighter than Amari's, and he stands about a half foot taller (though he's still growing). Chad loves to carry sticks around and slowly peel off the bark.

  • giraffe feeding

    Meet Amari:

    Amari was born here at Franklin Park Zoo in 2016. Due to medical issues at birth, zookeepers needed to hand-feed and care for Amari day and night. Thanks to their dedication, Amari is thriving today!

  • Masai giraffe, Enzi

    Meet Enzi:

    Enzi is Chad and Amari's second baby. He weighed a whopping 185 pounds at birth! Enzi is strong and independent, and he loves exploring his habitat out of sight of his mom. He's curious about his exhibit mates, the Grevy’s zebra and Somali wild asses, but they aren't too sure about this big baby just yet.

  • giraffe

    Snack Facts:

    The giraffe like lettuce, but bananas, sweet potato, and carrots are their favorite treats! They mainly eat fresh “browse” which is another name for leaves and twigs.

You can visit our giraffe during the warmer months in Franklin Park Zoo's Giraffe Savannah.

About the Masai Giraffe

conservation status: near threatened

Geographic Range:

range map

Class:  Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
Genus: Giraffa
Species: camelopardalis
Subspecies: tippelskirchi

With its long legs and neck, the Masai giraffe is the world’s tallest land mammal. The giraffe has a huge heart—think of a 25 pound basketball—which generates the high blood pressure necessary to maintain blood flow up to its brain. Males often engage in “necking” —swinging their necks to strike each other with the side of their heads to determine hierarchy or show affection. This roughhousing doesn’t cause physical harm, but when confronted by a predator, giraffes will kick with deadly force in order to escape.

 

 

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