Did you know that a group of giraffe is called a tower? Did you know a giraffe’s heart has to generate almost double the normal blood pressure of other animals to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity? Did you know giraffe have a complex pressure-regulation system called the rate miracle that prevents excessive blood flow to the brain when lowering its head to drink? Did you know giraffe have air conditioner skin to deal with the heat?
WORLD GIRAFFE DAY
Out of Africa Wildlife Park has picked the longest day of the year for the tallest animal on the planet. Join us for World Giraffe Day! Help us celebrate Kibo & Pilgrim, learn more about what is happening to giraffe populations in the wild, and most importantly how you can help.
When: Saturday, June 18, 2016, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Who: All park guests are welcome!
Activities include:
- Raffle for prizes – $ 1.00 per ticket or $ 5.00 for 6 tickets
- Coloring contest – 2 winners announced at 1:10 PM Tiger Splash
- Ages 8 and under
- Ages 9 and up
- 11:00 AM Keeper Talk
- 2:45 PM Enrichment Gifts given by winners of the coloring contest
- Bring in your old jeans! (JEAN FOR GIRAFFES)
JEANS FOR GIRAFFES is collecting denim, and recycling it, to raise money to support giraffe research and to protect giraffe populations in Africa. Any pair of jeans will do, even those that are old and “well loved”.
Giraffe populations in Africa have declined by over 40% in the past 15 years and there are now approximately 80,000 left in the wild. For a comparative perspective, there are roughly 450,000 elephants in Africa today. Despite the giraffes’ status as a well-loved icon of Africa, surprisingly little research has been done until recently, and awareness of their dramatic population decline remains low. We must place giraffes in the conservation spotlight along with elephants and rhinos, and work to ensure a bright future for all species in Africa. And that is why we have created Jeans for Giraffes. So that everyone can get involved, and take action to make a difference for giraffes.
You can help a giraffe in Africa, just by donating an old, unwanted pair of jeans!
Your donated jeans will be transported to a textile recycler, where denim is being turned into insulation for homes and businesses. The recycling company will pay for collected denim by the pound, and this money will go directly towards giraffe conservation and research projects.
As an added benefit, we will be helping the planet by reducing waste: the average person in the US throws away 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per year, and 23.8 billion pounds of clothing ends up in landfills each year (Source: levistrauss.com).
Funds generated by Jeans for Giraffes in 2016 will help to support the following giraffe conservation and research projects:
Other ways to support WORLD GIRAFFE DAY
World Giraffe Day is an exciting annual event initiated by Giraffe Conservation Foundation to celebrate the longest-necked animal on the longest day or night (depending on which hemisphere you live!) of the year – 21 June – every year! (Out of Africa Wildlife Park has chosen Saturday, June 18th, 2016)
Not only is it a worldwide celebration of these amazing and much loved animals, but an annual event to raise support, create awareness and shed light on the challenges giraffe face in the wild. By supporting World Giraffe Day you directly help save giraffe in Africa. With only 80,000 giraffe remaining in the wild, the time is right to act NOW!
Zoos, wildlife parks, schools, non-government organizations, governments, institutions, companies and conservation organizations around the world are hosting events on 21 June every year to raise awareness and support for giraffe in the wild.
After an amazing World Giraffe Day 2015 with Operation Twiga and the successful translocation of endangered Rothschild’s giraffe into a new area in Uganda, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation is excited to launch a new campaign for World Giraffe Day 2016: Putting people at the center of giraffe conservation.
Giraffe populations across the African continent face different challenges that require unique approaches to securing their future. For World Giraffe Day 2016, GCF is launching two major fundraising awareness campaigns for Kenya and Namibia, with the goal of raising US$50,000 for each respective country.
Reticulated giraffe conservation in Kenya
The fundraising campaign for Kenya will help protect reticulated giraffe in the northern part of the country. Reticulated giraffe numbers have declined by almost 80% over the last three decades, with only 8,600 individuals remaining in the wild today. Habitat loss and illegal hunting are the greatest threats in their natural habitat. To be able to protect reticulated giraffe in northern Kenya it is vital to learn more about their numbers, their distribution, their seasonal migration patterns, and how much space they need. The project is a community-based collaborative conservation effort, spearheaded by San Diego Zoo Global along with several Kenyan organizations, and the help of the local people of northern Kenya.
Environmental education in Namibia
The fundraising campaign for Namibia focuses on environmental education. The only way to assure a future for giraffe in Africa is through people. The Khomas Environmental Education Program (KEEP) inspires young Namibians to care for their environment. Through a targeted field-based program, KEEP provides them with the opportunity to reconnect with nature. Teaching young Namibians about their environment is essential for the conservation of giraffe and their habitat. KEEP helps to build a culture of environmental awareness by teaching social responsibility and conscientious action amongst young Africans and future leaders.