Reticulated Giraffe
Giraffes are considered gentle giants, which is no surprise considering they have the largest heart of any land mammal! Their hearts can weigh up to 25 pounds! Global Wildlife’s family of reticulated giraffes is growing, but not as quickly as the babies! At birth, giraffes weigh 150 pounds and can be up to 6 feet tall. On average, giraffes are 15-18 feet tall, and their tongues are 18-20 inches long. Visitors love it when the giraffes snake their tongues into a waiting feed cup.
Grant's Zebra
No two Grant’s Zebras have the same striping pattern. Each one is unique, much like a human’s fingerprint! When a baby zebra is firstborn, the mother and foal imprint on one another, memorizing each other’s stripe pattern, scent, and call. This allows mom and baby to recognize each other quickly! The zebras are the only animal at the center that you can’t feed. They bite to show affection and aggression!
Red Kangaroo
Red kangaroos are the largest marsupial in the world and are native to Australia. Marsupials give birth to a baby that is incompletely developed, that baby finishes development and feeds in the mother’s pouch. The name kangaroo means, “I don’t understand.” When European explorers asked the aboriginal people what those strange hopping creatures were, they replied, “kangaroo” because they didn’t understand what the Europeans were asking!
Bactrian Camel
There are less than 1,000 wild Bactrian camels left in the Gobi Desert in Asia, and they are recognized as a critically endangered species by the IUCN. Bactrian camels are identifiable by their two humps, which can weigh over 25 pounds per hump! These humps contain fat, which can be turned in to energy or water when sustenance is not available.
American Bison
There were 30 million bison roaming the Americas before the Europeans settled here, and by 1900, there were only approximately 1,000 bison surviving. Through extensive conservation efforts, the population of bison has risen to 500,000! Bison is a Greek word that means “ox-like animal.” Bison are the largest mammal endemic to North America. Our bison at Global like to wallow (roll around in the dirt) in order to deter biting flies and help them shed their fur!
Llama
Llamas are one of the members of the camelid family found in the Americas. Some of the other members in this family are the alpaca (we have these at Global too!), guanaco, and vicuña. Though not from the Americas, the camel is part of this family as well. The llama was first domesticated by the Incas in 4,000 B.C. , and they were instrumental pack animals during the building of Machu Picchu. Baby llamas are called “cria.” Mother llamas will hum to their offspring to calm the baby in stressful situations.