Giraffe herd at Tanganyika Wildlife Park grows by 2

GODDARD, Kan. (KSNW) — Tanganyika Wildlife Park announced Tuesday that their giraffe herd has grown by two.

“Penelope, one of the resident giraffes, gave birth to a male calf on January 18th, followed shortly by Ismene, who welcomed a female calf on January 21st,” said Tanganyika.

The Park says both calves are fathered by Davis, the resident bull.

Tanganyika now has 18 giraffes.

Conservationists Jim and Sherri Fouts established Tanganyika in the 1980s for the preservation of rare and endangered species. Since then, 69 giraffe calves have been born at the Park.

The two new giraffes begin the third generation of giraffes born at Tanganyika.

“Ismene and Penelope were both born at Tanganyika and their mothers, Isis and Peace, are also part of the herd,” the Park said.

The two giraffes measure just under 6 feet tall and are continuing to grow and show their personalities.

“The female shows an engaging personality, while the male is more standoffish,” said Giraffe Keeper Robert Olmstead. “They stood up quickly after birth, which is important for giraffe calves. Giraffes give birth standing up, so the calves drop more than 6 feet to the ground. We want to see them shake it off and stand up to begin nursing, which both calves did quickly.”

Both new calves have already begun venturing to the Giraffe Encounter station, where visitors to Tanganyika can get up close with giraffes and have the chance to feed them.

The Park will open for the 2024 season on Saturday, March 9. For the first two weeks of March, Tanganyika is offering its annual season pass sale starting at just $24.99. Visit twpark.com for more information.