April the Giraffe’s Calf Staying in Central New York
Tajiri, the calf of April the Giraffe, will be staying in Central New York after all.
Tajiri, who was born in April of 2017, was scheduled to be transferred to a zoo in North Carolina later this month. In an announcement on Facebook, Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville said the decision was made to keep Tajiri at the park after "requirements and deadlines were not satisfied in the given time frame to make the scheduled transfer by the end of this month possible."
Now, Animal Adventure Park will immediately begin the design and construction of a new enclosure for Tajiri that will house him - and possibly another giraffe or companion animal during the winter.
As we've long stated, it is not ideal for Tajiri to remain in the same proximity as his parents, which has prompted the park's owner and contractors to work and plan quickly. Construction will begin Monday to erect the appropriate building to house Tajiri and a possible second giraffe or companion animal, for the colder months, and exhibition in the future. This exhibit will absorb a large portion of the anticipated Wilds of Asia expansion slated for a 2019 opening, likely now delayed. The park anticipates this project will take three to four weeks to reach completion. This will allow a timely transfer to the new space, prior to extreme cold weather, and give April the Giraffe ample time to prepare for her expected calf in 2019.
The Animal Adventure Park announced this summer that April is pregnant again, so it's important to give her the space she needs to prepare for her new calf, which is due next year.
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