The Oakland Zoo giraffe live camera offers a wonderful view of our reticulated giraffes as they tower over the African Savanna. These gentle giants provide guests with an up-close encounter of a species teetering on the brink of extinction. Surprisingly, little is known about their biology, ecology, or behavior, highlighting the need to support research efforts of these beautiful creatures.
Oakland Zoo supports the mission of the Reticulated Giraffe Project - a partnership between the Kenya Wildlife Services and Queen's University Belfast. The RGP aims to address the lack of information about reticulated giraffes by investigating aspects of the animal's behavioral ecology and the population processes operating upon them. This information will help to inform conservation and management of the remaining reticulated giraffe populations. Oakland Zoo supports the project through fund raising, sending Zoo staff to Africa to assist with field research, and more.
Oakland Zoo is celebrating the newest addition to the giraffe herd, a baby female giraffe named Kendi! After a very long pregnancy (giraffes have a gestation period of 14-16 months), Kijiji (mother) gave birth to her first calf, Kendi on October 19, 2023, on the African Savanna habitat. Kendi is approximately 150 lbs. and is 6.5 feet tall. Kendi means ‘loved one' in Swahili, paying homage to the language spoken in Kenya, where you can find reticulated giraffes in the wild.
Maggie is the oldest and tallest female, having matured into the matriarch of the herd. She was born here at Oakland Zoo in 2012 to Mabusu and Twiga. She's about the same size as Tsavo (a male), but can be identified by her lighter head color. She's known for being picky and headstrong but she also bonds closely with both giraffes and keepers.
"Maggie has taken on the responsibility of looking out for the group and regularly observes their surroundings." - Keeper Leslie
Tsavo came to Oakland Zoo a day after Zawadi in 2021. He was born at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in 2017 and has quickly become our tallest giraffe. He can easily be confused with Maggie, but sports a darker forehead and ossicones. This young male is known for his trusting nature and quick wit.
“Tsavo is an incredibly smart giraffe. Tsavo is usually two steps ahead of us." - Keeper Leslie
Kijiji was born at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Kansas in 2018. She came to Oakland Zoo in 2020 and is known for being careful and thoughtful, yet curious. You might find her relaxing and resting with her "brothers" on the straw beds on habitat. She loves all food, especially apple and oat cookies.
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“Kijiji is very funny, and loves to participate in training. She is very curious about birds and often follows pigeons around the exhibit.” -Keeper Aeriell
Zawadi is the smallest and youngest of the herd. He was born in 2020 at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in California and came to Oakland Zoo the following year, one day before Tsavo. At less than a thousand pounds, Zawadi still has a lot of growing to do.
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“Zawadi is three years old with a personality to match. He wants to be involved in what everyone is doing (human and giraffe). He spends his days following the older giraffes around and will push everyone out of his way to get to food. He likes to take breaks to rest on the straw beds and in the shade. He is very curious and loves to participate in training, even when the behaviors we are asking for seem scary to him. He is showing us just how resilient he can be and what it looks like to be the youngest of the herd. ” -Keeper Taylor
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