(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A five-year-old giraffe will be visiting Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) for a few months as a part of the collaborative program, Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP).
Jasiri, a male giraffe from the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA), will be temporarily heading to CMZoo after an SSP recommendation for potential breeding with several females in the herd, according to a social media post from DZCA on Friday, Jan. 9. This comes after CMZoo’s 17-year-old breeding bull, Khalid, passed away on Dec. 12.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) manages the Giraffe SSP, carefully matching animals across AZA-accredited zoos for breeding to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse giraffe population in human care. Both CMZoo and DZCA regularly participate in recommended animal moves to support the long-term future of the species…