The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is welcoming its newest addition.
Amani, a four-year-old giraffe, now makes her home in Calgary after arriving from the Toronto Zoo.
She joins 14-year-old Nabo and his daughter, 9-year-old Moshi, in Calgary.
The zoo said its hope is Amani’s arrival will spark romance with Nabo.
“As Canada’s only unrelated male Masai giraffe, Nabo is not just a tall, handsome suitor, he’s the most eligible (Masai giraffe) bachelor in the country,” reads a statement from the zoo.
He is “a prime candidate for Amani’s affections and this pairing marks a critical step in securing a brighter future for this majestic species.”
The Calgary zoo says transporting a 4 year old female giraffe, Amani, from the Toronto zoo to Calgary took months of meticulous planning.
Toronto Zoo
The zoo says transporting a giraffe from Toronto to Calgary took months of meticulous planning, coordination and logistics.
“From securing the necessary permits to ensuring Amani’s health and safety, this complex process involved close collaboration between teams at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo and the Toronto Zoo,” says the statement from the zoo.
Amani made the journey to Calgary aboard a specialized trailer.
But it hit a bump along the way when a mechanical issue forced Amani to make an unscheduled overnight stay in a WestJet hangar in Saskatchewan before continuing on to Calgary.
The giraffe will now go through a 10- to 30-day quarantine before being introduced first to the rest of the herd, then to the public.
Amani’s arrival comes almost a year and a half after one of the other giraffes at the zoo, 12-year-old Emara, died in a tragic accident.
The Calgary zoo hopes the arrival of a 4 year old masai giraffe, Amani, sparks a romance with zoo’s male giraffe 14 year old Nabo.
Toronto Zoo