Seneca Park Zoo gets two new giraffes from San Diego

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Seneca Park Zoo has two new Masai giraffes, a one-year-old male named Elliot and a three-year-old female named Kura.

Monroe County announced on Friday that the giraffes were transferred from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It comes after the death of two of Seneca Park Zoo’s giraffes this year. Kipenzi was euthanized in July after battling cancer for more than a year. Back in February, Kipenzi’s calf named PJ died after an apparent seizure. A year before that, 6-year-old Parker died after getting his head stuck in a gate.

The county says the new giraffes will join Iggy and her son Olmsted, along with JD who came to Rochester from The Wilds Safari Park in Ohio, in the zoo’s tower. Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Chris McKinney said Elliot and Kura are getting acclimated to their new home and the giraffe exhibit should be open in a few days.

Elliot and Kura are coming to Seneca Park Zoo as part of a breeding recommendation for a species survival plan. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums aims to increase the genetic diversity of Masai giraffes at its accredited zoos. Masai giraffes are an endangered species, with poaching and habitat loss attributed to their decline.

Seneca Park Zoo has been a part of the AZA Giraffe Saving Animals from Extinction program since 2018 when giraffes became a permanent part of the Zoo.