- NEW! Giraffe Encounter at the Phoenix Zoo
- Phoenix Zoo Birthday Club
- Fisher-Price®
Little People® Discovery Farm™ - BCBS Wild Walk
- Training 101 Sit Stay Have Fun
- Yakulla Caverns Play Space
- Leapin' Lagoon
- Safari Cart Tours
- Stingray Bay
- Endangered Species Carousel
- Camel Rides
- Petting Zoo at Harmony Farm
- Safari Train
- Creature Feature Schedule
- Monkey Village
- Places to Eat
- Pedal Boats and Bikes
- Shopping & Gifts
NEW! Giraffe Encounter at the Phoenix Zoo
10 - 11 a.m. daily
10 - 11 a.m. and 2 - 3 p.m. weekends
This new observation deck located across from the tiger exhibit and admission of $3 per person.There, guests can have the opportunity to feed the giraffes, as well as get a feel of being on a real African Savanna in the wild. Children 2 and under may accompany their parents for free.We are also proud to say that when building the deck, we kept within the Zoo's mission of being conservationists, and used recycled materials for the entire project.
The actual deck is made from a product called Trex®, made from about 50 percent recycled and reclaimed plastic, and 50 percent reclaimed wood. These materials would otherwise go unused in landfills. Using sustainable materials and green manufacturing processes is a policy that touches everything we do, and we are happy that we were able to be resourceful to our precious environment.
Did You Know?
Trex keeps some 300, 000 tons of plastic and wood scrap out of landfills every year?
NO TREES ARE CUT DOWN for the purpose of making Trex.
You can start a recycling program in your community, school or university, by contacting recycle@trex.com
About the Reticulated Giraffe's at the Phoenix Zoo
Samburu- Sam for short. Named after the national park in Kenya were reticulated giraffe are found. He was born on Dec. 1, 1990 in Tulsa Oklahoma. Our very own Bert Castro, CEO and president was his keeper when he was born. He is 17 feet tall and weighs 2500 pounds. He is the darkest and the tallest of the five giraffes. He is laid back and mellow can get a little pushy over food. He doesn't like to be touched or pet. He figures out the feeding routine the fastest and I always the first in line for pellets.
Jambo- name means hello in Swahili. She was born on July 22, 1986 at the Denver Zoo. She is 12 ½ feet tall when she stands up very straight she weighs 1400 pounds. She has a heart shaped marking on the base of her neck. She is the shortest giraffe even though she is the oldest. She is polite but not bashful, cautious but not afraid. She is everyone's sweetheart. She has had seven calves.
Charlie- is a girl and was named after the giraffe keeper at the Reid Park Zoo at the time she was born. Her birthday is Jan. 6, 1995. She is 15 feet tall and weighs 2050 pounds. Charlie is the dominant female, she has had two calves. Charlie is smart and figured out how to open the doors in the giraffe barn, the doors are now locked to prevent here from going into the other giraffes stalls and helping them finish their food.
Zuri- name means beautiful in Swahili. She was born here at the Phoenix Zoo on July 13, 2003. Charlie is her mom and Samburu is her father. She is 14 feet tall and weighs 1700 pounds. Zuri is shy and sweet, she is cautious with new things, like the giraffe deck, but once she decides they are ok she jumps right in.
Makope- name means eyelashes in Swahili. She was born on exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo on June 15, 2005. She is 13 feet tall and weighs 1500 pounds. Makope is cleaver, she has figured out how to get around the hotwire to browse on the trees outside of the exhibit. Making her keepers and the operations staff come up with new ways to keep her out of trouble. She thinks she is the star of the giraffe herd.
Giraffe FAQ's
- How long have we had giraffe's here at the Phoenix Zoo?
Since we opened on Nov. 21, 1962 - When did the African Savanna and incorporate multi-species? The African Savanna has always been multi species since it opened in 1985. Before that they were housed were the Baboons were in a single species exhibit.
- How long are giraffe tongues?
Giraffe tongues can be up to 18 inches long and used to grab a hold of tree branched to rip off the leaves. - Are giraffe's endangered?
Giraffes are not endangered now! YAY! :)
