Adelaide Zoo has plans to expand its giraffe area over the next few years

The giraffe area of Adelaide Zoo which underwent an expansion in 2020, is set to grow even larger over the next few years. Phase 2 will see the area expanded to provide approximately 2,500m² for the giraffes with the final phase seeing the exhibit providing a total of over 5,000m², making this one of the largest inner city giraffe exhibits in Australia.

These upgrades will also give the giraffes a more expansive view of the River Torrens, providing them with extra enrichment in the form of watching people walk and drive by. It will also give people driving and walking along the riverbank an opportunity to see over 200 metres of the giraffe exhibit from outside the zoo.

Kimya - the adult giraffe is seventeen today and resides at Adelaide Zoo with Nolean (almost two) and seven-month old Azizi.

Keeper Matt Golebiowski notes “Kimya is a gorgeous giraffe. She tends to be very cautious and likes things just so. I’ve bought her a special enrichment toy for her birthday but COVID has delayed its delivery, however, she seems very happy with her carrots.”

While birthday girl Kimya, Nolean and Azizi live a comfortable existence at Adelaide Zoo, their cousins in the wild are not so fortunate with numbers declining at a rapid rate. The giraffe is classified by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being vulnerable to extinction with the population decline referred to as The Silent Extinction. The Silent Extinction refers to the general misconception that the species is not under threat whereas sadly there are thought to be only 68,000 giraffes left in the wild.

Zoos SA is long-term supporter of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and donates money through its feed experiences across both sites. Zoos SA has helped the GCF to purchase GPS satellite-tracking units called Twiga Trackers that provide a better understanding of wild giraffes’ spatial movements and habitat use and therefore inform effective conservation and planning.

To test readers’ knowledge, Zoos SA has created 17 questions about giraffes – one for each of Kimya’s years.

1.            What colour is the tuft at the end of a giraffe’s tail?

2.            How many neck vertebrae does a giraffe have? Sixteen, nine or seven?

3.            Is a giraffe’s eyesight poor, moderate or excellent?

4.            There is only one close relative of the giraffe. Name it.

5.            Approximately how long is a giraffe’s tongue? 100cm, 50cm or 30cm?

6.            What is a group of giraffes called?

7.            What is the name of the giraffe’s hair covered horns?

8.            What is the name for sparring between bulls?

9.            In the wild you will see birds sitting on a giraffe’s back. What are they doing? Hitching a ride? Eating ticks? Alerting the giraffe to any danger?

10.          Do giraffes make a noise?

11.          Are giraffes even or odd-toed ungulates?

12.          When is World Giraffe Day? And why?

13.          How many distinct species of giraffe are there?

14.          What colour is a giraffe’s tongue?

15.          How does a giraffe drink water from the ground?

16.          How heavy is a giraffe’s heart? 5kg, 8kg or 11kg?

17.          The blood vessels in a giraffe’s legs have inspired NASA. How?

ANSWERS: 1. Black, 2. Seven, 3. Excellent, 4. Okapi, 5. 50cm, 6. A tower, 7. Ossicones, 8. Necking, 9. ALL, 10. Yes, but it’s too low a frequency for humans to hear, 11. Even-toed, 12. 21st June – the longest day or longest night of the year (depending on where you live). 13. Four: Northern, Southern, Reticulated and Masai, 14. Blue/Black 15. As they’re so tall they have to splay their legs first before bending their necks (or they won’t reach the ground), 16. 11kg, 17. NASA has taken inspiration from the giraffe’s blood flow system and valves in spacesuit design.

Image: Kimya Credit: Adrian Mann