Companion Giraffe Headed To Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville

Following the recent sad loss of April the Giraffe who called Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY her home for many years and had to be put down due to a very painful arthritic condition at the age of 20, it is wonderful to hear that a male giraffe named Desmond from the Milwaukee County Zoo will soon be headed to Harpursville to become a companion for 4-year-old male giraffe Tajiri. April gave birth to Tajiri in 2017 as the world watched by a live web-cam.

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The announcement of the Desmond the Giraffe was made on Animal Adventure Park's facebook page yesterday.

According to Animal Adventure Park, pairing these two male giraffes is a natural step in their development as "young bachelors" who would normally be transitioning away from their mothers. animaldiversity.org states that "bulls (male giraffes) tend to become solitary until they find or obtain their own herd and become the dominant male. At age 4 to 5 years, male giraffe become sexually mature; however, it is not until seven years of age when they start to breed."

The date of Desmond the Giraffe's arrival is yet to be determined but you can follow news of his arrival on the Animal Adventure Park facebook page. Once Desmond arrives, park officials say that he'll be quarantined for a particular amount of time and be checked by a veterinarian before he's allowed to be around other giraffes.