Nashville Zoo continues to support species worldwide and is involved in various international conservation efforts. Our Hoofstock department participates in African conservation work by joining Save Giraffes Now on various conservation projects. Read the updates below.
Save Giraffes Now Partnership
In early 2024, hoofstock keeper Jenna Wolczyk traveled to Kenya to work with local communities and wild giraffe populations. During that visit, Jenna spent the bulk of her time helping a local team of wildlife scouts' study how giraffes are affected by fragmentation and highway crossings along the Mombasa Highway.
Toward the end of 2024, Jenna returned to Africa, with another hooftstock keeper, Brittany Blocker, to participate in a giraffe translocation with Save Giraffes Now (SGN). This nonprofit organization works to save giraffes from extinction so they can live freely and safely in the woodlands and savannas of their native homelands. The Zoo has supported SGN with a variety of projects that are important to wild giraffe populations including the highway monitoring program in Kenya.
During the second trip, the team went to Botswana for 16 days to help move five giraffes from one area to another to help with genetic diversity. Introducing new genetics will help sustain a healthier population in this area. This trip is the second tier of the Zoo’s working partnership with Save Giraffes Now and the first time Nashville Zoo has taken part in a giraffe translocation. Nashville Zoo’s goal is to get more staff involved with in-situ conservation efforts and we were excited to get Brittany Blocker involved for this trip.
This trip further solidified the presence of Nashville Zoo in giraffe conservation efforts. The team also learned valuable information about translocations that have led to productive conversations with the transport teams and better practices for future transport.
Brittany and Jenna observing giraffes in Botswana.
Jenna & Brittany’s Detailed Account
The first half of the trip was dedicated to the giraffe capture and transport. The team’s role was more observational to see how the practices compare to giraffe capture and transport in zoo settings. The second portion of the trip was dedicated to monitoring the newly transported giraffes, which proved to be more difficult than expected. The team spent anywhere from three to seven hours a day searching for the giraffe in the dense brush area that covers over 9,000 acres.
Before going on this trip, the team’s goal was to observe/assist with the translocation and do an in-depth observation and ethogram on their introduction to their new environment and learn more about the giraffes already in the area. Unfortunately, the team faced a lot of different challenges along the way and were not able to make any true behavioral observations. Instead, the team pivoted to making sure the giraffes were healthy and acclimating to their unfamiliar environment. By the end of the trip, the team was able to spot three of the five new giraffes that were settling in well to their new environment.
“We are so proud to be part of an organization that was able to support such an important project to help giraffes in the wild,” said Brittany and Jenna, Nashville Zoo Hoofstock Keepers. “The fact that we were able to travel to Botswana to help with the move and make connections with local people to be able to continue to help more in the future is a dream come true and will greatly benefit our work.”
Brittany and Jenna with members from Save Giraffes Now and the Mokolodi Nature Reserve.
Local Community Work
The giraffes that were translocated were added to the existing population at Mokolodi Nature Reserve just outside of the capital of Botswana. Mokolodi is an education center that is frequented by locals of all ages. While on location, the team was able to go on game-drives and hear the interactions with the public, learning about the animals in their extended backyard. Mokolodi also hosts many school groups for a day experience or even a couple of evenings for schools that have a farther drive.
The goal of hosting schools is to educate the children of the importance of the natural world around them and to instill the desire to protect and preserve. The community was very excited to hear about the addition of the new giraffes and Brittany and Jenna were personally thanked by Mokolodi staff and visitors alike.
“One of the most memorable experiences we had was getting to completely immerse ourselves in the Botswana culture,” said Brittany and Jenna, Nashville Zoo Hoofstock Keepers. “We were able to share stories of our lives and experiences from the zoo and got to hear more about the community’s life experiences.”
The giraffes are transported in large vehicles. Their eyes are covered to help reduce overstimulation and to protect them from dust.
Planning for the Future
There is still a lot to learn about wildlife conservation, specifically the regional differences and protocols. As zookeepers, Brittney and Jenna noticed elements of the capture and translocation that could be improved, and they discussed it with SGN post-trip. Since this was the team’s first experience of such a venture, they were strictly observing everything. SGN has expressed the need for us to be more hands-on with the planning process with the wildlife veterinaries and planning of post-transport monitoring practices.
"The collaboration between Zoos and non-profits in Africa is crucial to providing better practices for the animals involved. As zookeepers we are accustomed to seeing one side of animal care and the wildlife veterinarians and professionals are accustomed to the other side. By opening the conversation and sharing observations we can create the best environment possible for the giraffes throughout conservation efforts" said Jenna.
Together Nashville Zoo and Save Giraffes Now learned many things during this translocation, and it will hopefully lead to more collaborative experiences in the coming years.
Brittany & Jenna spent 3 to 7 hours daily searching for giraffes on game drives.
Collaborations between Zoos and non-profits allows organizations, like SGN, to achieve their mission and make a broader impact in the realm of conservation. Our experienced staff is involved in research, habitat protection, breeding programs and education initiatives around the globe and in our own backyard. For more information on Nashville Zoo’s conservation efforts and to donate, visit www.nashvillezoo.org/conservation.