“Jabari” Makes Detroit Debut – and Turns One Year Old – on Friday

ROYAL OAK, Mich., November 26, 2008 – The Detroit Zoo’s newest arrival stands tall for his age at 10 feet and is guaranteed to turn heads.  Zoo visitors can meet Jabari, a 600-pound male giraffe, on his first birthday, Friday, November 28, 2008.

“Jabari is an exciting addition to the Detroit Zoo and we are looking forward to watching him mature,” said Curator of Mammals Bob Lessnau.

Jabari came from Utah’s Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City and is gradually being introduced to Detroit Zoo visitors.  He can be seen Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the giraffe house in the African Grasslands.  Click on the Detroit Zoo Today section of detroitzoo.com for the most up-to-date schedule.

Jabari – Swahili for “the brave one” – joins Raspberry, 16, Chardo, 23, and Ajax, 26, the oldest male giraffe in North America and the second-oldest male giraffe in the world.

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the tallest of all land mammals and can reach heights of up to 20 feet.  In the wild, its long neck enables it to see potential predators and “battle” other giraffes in social encounters.  A giraffe’s tongue can be as long as 22 inches, which helps it to pluck leaves from thorny vegetation.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October.  Admission is $11 for adults 13 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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