Toronto Zoo opens new giraffe habitat

The Toronto Zoo is excited to have a new home for some big animals. Thursday they announced the opening of the indoor giraffe exhibit and by doing so, they are helping to heal an old wound.

It’s a new home, with some space to move around. At 173-square meters, the new indoor viewing facility is the largest in Canada, allowing the zoo to display the animals year round.

Chris Dulong, Wildlife Care Supervisor: “Giraffes are really, really important.”

In more ways than one. The Masai giraffe’s 14-foot tall. Twiga and her calf, 10-foot tall Mstari, are filling a void at the Toronto Zoo, one that dates back to last year.

This new outdoor area for the giraffe’s and if it looks familiar that’s because its where the elephants used to be. Previously the giraffe’s just had one of these to walk around in, but now they have four which provides them a lot more space along with the new inside viewing zone which keeps them warm all winter.

Elephants had been at the Toronto Zoo since it opened 40 years ago. In a move that began with animal activist Bob Barker, the zoo sent their three African elephants to the PAWS Animal Sanctuary in California. It was agreed that was the best thing for the animals, but it was a dark day.

Twiga and Mistri are also helping their own. Over the past 15 years, the world population of giraffe’s has fallen by 40 percent from 140 thousand to 80 thousand. This move into a new home will help the population of giraffe’s not only thrive at the Toronto Zoo, but grow as well.

Dr. William Rapley: “We should be getting a new male, and new females, and we will continue with our breeding.”

And soon they will hopefully be able to fill all of the empty space, now dedicated to their species.