Masai Giraffe

(Giraffa tippelskirchi)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to three Masai giraffes, two females Iggy and Kipenzi, and one male, Olmsted (Olmy). Their habitat is north of the elephant barn in the Animals of the Savanna area. Iggy was born on June 4, 2017 at the Virginia Zoo and Kipenzi, which means beloved or precious one in Swahili, was born on April 3, 2017 at the Toledo Zoo. Both female giraffes arrived at Seneca Park Zoo in August 2018.  Iggy and Parker, another male giraffe who died in February 2023,  had their first calf in male Olmsted on April 29, 2022.

Animal Facts

Diet

Giraffes are herbivorous, browsing mainly on leaves and buds from trees and shrubs, especially the acacia tree.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Masai giraffe are found in savannas and open woodlands throughout southern Kenya and much of Tanzania.

Endangered due to scattered and fragmented populations that have resulted from poaching, habitat loss, and human encroachment.