Giraffe skips for joy after being let out of zoo pen to enjoy warm weather

2016-03-10 16

CHICAGO — Staff at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago released a video this week of a 2-year-old giraffe running around his outdoor enclosure, noticeably excited. After months being kept indoors, they suspect his reaction has something to do with being outside again.

The giraffe is native to Kenya, in northeast Africa, but during winter months at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, young Potoka Prince and his pals are usually limited to a simulated Savannah enclosure at the zoo. It might be a decent attempt at replicating their natural habitat, but the real African Savannah is known for its rolling grasslands, which are warm all year round. Temperatures hold steady at around 70 degrees F during the dry season, and can rise to as high as the mid-80s during the rainy season.

Unfortunately for these particular long-necked ungulates, there's not much evidence of their species having to contend with snowy seasons, except when displaced in foreign climates. Living in Chicago means little to no outdoor playtime for roughly five to six months of the year.

The zoo staff admit, temperatures must be at least 45-50 degrees for their beloved giraffes to have access to the outside world.

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