Seneca Park Zoo was recently identified by the Masai giraffe SSP (Species Survival Plan) as a specialized and expert training and holding facility for male Masai giraffes. This acknowledgment is a tremendous honor and a reflection of years of hard work by our animal care and animal health teams!
The SSP is responsible for managing healthy and genetically diverse assurance populations of animals across AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. By coordinating breeding recommendations and animal transfers, the program helps secure a brighter future for some of your favorite species.
A major factor in Seneca Park Zoo being selected as a giraffe holding facility was our team’s incredible success in giraffe training. Giraffes are among the most challenging animals to train, requiring extraordinary patience, consistency, and trust-building due to their naturally cautious nature. As a smaller zoo with a highly experienced animal care team, we are uniquely positioned to provide the individualized attention and dedicated time needed to achieve these unique training milestones.
Giraffe training looks like active participation in healthcare. This includes voluntarily lifting their hooves for hoof care, presenting different parts of their bodies for ultrasounds, participating in blood draws, and even allowing facial radiographs, all without the need for anesthesia. This not only reduces stress for the animals but also allows our team to provide more effective preventative care!
Because of our ambitious training program and our proximity to the Canadian border, we are an ideal facility to help train and transport Masai giraffes.
But how does Canada connect to this? The need for these transfers is tied directly to the SSP’s efforts to maintain a healthy population. Currently, there are more male Masai giraffes in the United States than can be accommodated long-term, while several Canadian facilities need male giraffes. By helping prepare and move these animals, we are contributing to a coordinated effort that supports the future of the species across North America!
Written by Jaiya Astacio, Communications Coordinator.