Taronga staff are very excited to have welcomed a new female Giraffe to the Sydney herd. Kitoto is a two-year-old that has grown up at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.

Kitoto’s arrival was delayed due to wet weather, but she’s now in Sydney and settling into her new home. When the clouds cleared, Kitoto was transported from Dubbo in a specially-designed crate that travelled along the Great Western Highway. Onlookers couldn’t quite believe their eyes when they saw a Giraffe sticking its head out of the crate during the journey. Kitoto appeared to be taking in the scenery during the trip.

Slowly, our keepers introduced her to her new exhibit, and most importantly, her new herd. She is sharing a home with male Jimiyu, and females, Nyota and Zarafa. By joining the group Kitoto will play a key role in maintaining the herd’s structure.

As she is quite a young giraffe, Taronga’s keepers are confident that Kitoto will be quick to socialise with the rest of the group, and adapt to her new home. Kitoto was born in February of 2010, which made her the third Giraffe calf to be born in the space of three months at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Her keepers were delighted to see the success of their breeding program, and were overjoyed to be in the position to increase the herd in Sydney.

Pascale Benoit, a keeper at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, says that “Kitoto is a beautiful animal and is a real privilege to work with.” Pascale believes that this particular giraffe takes after her mother, which is known to be calm and easy going.

To learn more about these incredible African ungulates, hear from our Keepers at the Daily Talks - 1:30pm at Taronga Zoo and 10.10am at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.