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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
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Written by Kacie Meffley, Giraffe Manager
Over the last two years, African Rift Valley has been immersed in construction and change. The giraffe herd encountered new doors to shift through, construction sounds, a brand-new drawbridge to walk through into new yards, and regularly adjusted spaces – and they have done it with incredible resilience, trust in their care team, and even excitement and curiosity!
Their resilience was evident from the beginning. It’s like they knew that if they embraced the unfamiliar, their environment was about to change in a monumentally positive way.
This journey recently came to an end with the opening of the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe on Sept. 15. A few weeks before the grand opening, the giraffe herd gained access to the renovated and expanded yards and the brand-new Giraffe Center to slowly start adjusting again.
When the giraffe gate opened into the new yard, and Kay walked through without hesitation, if not with eagerness, it brought tears to my eyes. All the years of hard work making them comfortable and confident in their choices had paid off! After Kay, the remainder of the herd began exploring the new spaces with curiosity and wonder. They began exploring hundreds of pounds of elm suspended from 16 indoor winches, giving them 360-degree access to the branches for the first time, while also testing out the new substrates under their feet.
Seeing them explore the space so confidently, after so much thought, care, and love went into designing it, was incredibly rewarding. It was proof that we had created the right environment for them — and it was just the beginning of a fantastic new adventure.
The opening of this new center was years in the making. While their former full-time barn, now called the Training and Neonate Barn, has served the herd well for more than 20 years as a space for raising calves and training giraffe, the giraffe team saw an opportunity to do more for their everyday lives. We wanted to bring guests into the giraffe’s environment while also giving the herd more choice in how they spend their days. No idea was too big, as is evident in features like the island in the new barn and the trackless doorways designed specifically for giraffe. Innovation was the theme.
Being part of the out-of-the-box thinking, including helping design the circular layout of the barn, has been an incredible experience. My excitement over the months grew as the grand opening drew nearer, knowing that the herd was about to embark on an adventure not just for them, but for all giraffe in human care. The Giraffe Center allows the giraffe to have more choice. Choice on where to stand, eat, what climate to be in, be inside or outside, and even which giraffe they stand or walk beside – or play with. Watching the giraffe explore their new area with enthusiasm and courage makes me so proud. They went through a lot of changes in these past two years, and to get to see them finally explore all of it is the highlight of my career.
There’s still a lot of work to do for our herd and data to collect that will benefit giraffe everywhere through our workshops, webinars, and consultations. The information we’re gathering about where the giraffe choose to spend their time allows us to share insights with the giraffe community and help improve giraffe care. We can share these insights through our workshops and when consulting with other facilities.
We can share how Ohe likes to slink underneath browse and rub his back on it, then get the zoomies; how the giraffe follow the sun as it moves overhead, seeking the shady part of their environment; and how they utilize their water hole instead of what we designed to be ‘easier’, taller automatically refilling drinkers. This is natural giraffe behavior we were hoping to see. We had hoped designing an environment like this would elicit these behaviors and watching it in real time almost every day makes me smile from ear to ear.
Not every member of the herd who started this process with us was able to make it to the Giraffe Center..We have lost five foundational members during the last year while the Giraffe Center was being built. Those five – Mahali, Khalid, Muziki, Mashama, and Laikipia – were an important part of the thought, care, and heart that went into creating it. In many ways, it took every giraffe we cared for over the last 10 years to help bring the Giraffe Center to life, and their legacy will live on in this space. To honor their memory, our team placed hair from all five giraffe in the island planter, so their presence can remain part of the space their herd mates now enjoy.
I’m overjoyed to be part of this journey and can’t wait to see what we continue to learn from our giraffe herd and how that knowledge can help shape the future of giraffe care.
Back to The Waterhole
The post Staff Diaries: Working with the Herd Through Historical Home Upgrades appeared first on CMZoo.
Over the last two years, African Rift Valley has been immersed in construction and change. The giraffe herd encountered new doors to shift through, construction sounds, a brand-new drawbridge to walk through into new yards, and regularly adjusted spaces – and they have done it with incredible resilience, trust in their care team, and even excitement and curiosity!
Their resilience was evident from the beginning. It’s like they knew that if they embraced the unfamiliar, their environment was about to change in a monumentally positive way.
This journey recently came to an end with the opening of the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe on Sept. 15. A few weeks before the grand opening, the giraffe herd gained access to the renovated and expanded yards and the brand-new Giraffe Center to slowly start adjusting again.
When the giraffe gate opened into the new yard, and Kay walked through without hesitation, if not with eagerness, it brought tears to my eyes. All the years of hard work making them comfortable and confident in their choices had paid off! After Kay, the remainder of the herd began exploring the new spaces with curiosity and wonder. They began exploring hundreds of pounds of elm suspended from 16 indoor winches, giving them 360-degree access to the branches for the first time, while also testing out the new substrates under their feet.
Seeing them explore the space so confidently, after so much thought, care, and love went into designing it, was incredibly rewarding. It was proof that we had created the right environment for them — and it was just the beginning of a fantastic new adventure.
The opening of this new center was years in the making. While their former full-time barn, now called the Training and Neonate Barn, has served the herd well for more than 20 years as a space for raising calves and training giraffe, the giraffe team saw an opportunity to do more for their everyday lives. We wanted to bring guests into the giraffe’s environment while also giving the herd more choice in how they spend their days. No idea was too big, as is evident in features like the island in the new barn and the trackless doorways designed specifically for giraffe. Innovation was the theme.
Being part of the out-of-the-box thinking, including helping design the circular layout of the barn, has been an incredible experience. My excitement over the months grew as the grand opening drew nearer, knowing that the herd was about to embark on an adventure not just for them, but for all giraffe in human care. The Giraffe Center allows the giraffe to have more choice. Choice on where to stand, eat, what climate to be in, be inside or outside, and even which giraffe they stand or walk beside – or play with. Watching the giraffe explore their new area with enthusiasm and courage makes me so proud. They went through a lot of changes in these past two years, and to get to see them finally explore all of it is the highlight of my career.
There’s still a lot of work to do for our herd and data to collect that will benefit giraffe everywhere through our workshops, webinars, and consultations. The information we’re gathering about where the giraffe choose to spend their time allows us to share insights with the giraffe community and help improve giraffe care. We can share these insights through our workshops and when consulting with other facilities.
We can share how Ohe likes to slink underneath browse and rub his back on it, then get the zoomies; how the giraffe follow the sun as it moves overhead, seeking the shady part of their environment; and how they utilize their water hole instead of what we designed to be ‘easier’, taller automatically refilling drinkers. This is natural giraffe behavior we were hoping to see. We had hoped designing an environment like this would elicit these behaviors and watching it in real time almost every day makes me smile from ear to ear.
Not every member of the herd who started this process with us was able to make it to the Giraffe Center..We have lost five foundational members during the last year while the Giraffe Center was being built. Those five – Mahali, Khalid, Muziki, Mashama, and Laikipia – were an important part of the thought, care, and heart that went into creating it. In many ways, it took every giraffe we cared for over the last 10 years to help bring the Giraffe Center to life, and their legacy will live on in this space. To honor their memory, our team placed hair from all five giraffe in the island planter, so their presence can remain part of the space their herd mates now enjoy.
I’m overjoyed to be part of this journey and can’t wait to see what we continue to learn from our giraffe herd and how that knowledge can help shape the future of giraffe care.
Back to The Waterhole
The post Staff Diaries: Working with the Herd Through Historical Home Upgrades appeared first on CMZoo.