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Meet Maryland Zoo’s Newest Giraffe

Meet Maryland Zoo’s newest giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) starting January 17. Kipepeo (or Kipi for short), will be visible to the public for the first time. Since arriving in late November, the three-year-old female has not been visible to the public while in a standard quarantine period and adjusting to her new home. 

The name, Kipepeo (key-PEH-pay-o), is the Swahili word for butterfly. It was chosen through a public naming contest by winner Elizabeth Buck. Anyone who donated $100 or more was entered to win naming rights. Proceeds from the contest directly support the Zoo’s animal care and wildlife conservation programs. 

Until it gets warmer, Kipi will be viewable inside the Zoo’s Giraffe House from noon to 2 p.m. each Friday through Monday. It will be easy to spot her in the herd. At 12 feet tall, she is smaller than the Zoo’s other female, Kesi, who is 14 feet tall, and its male, Caesar, who has darker coloring and is just shy of 16 feet tall.

Kipi was transported to Maryland from another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo in a special trailer accommodating her height. She was joined on the ride by two addra gazelle (Nanger dama), who are joining the rest of the antelope herd in the African Journey section of the Zoo. 

Ticket prices at the Maryland Zoo will be reduced starting on Friday, January 3rd, and continuing through the end of  February 2025. General admission to the Zoo drops from $33 to just $24—more details about reduced ticket prices here.

Situated in Druid Hill Park near Downtown Baltimore, the Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. For more information, visit www.marylandzoo.org

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