(Des Moines, IA) -- The Des Moines Blank Park Zoo's newest arrival can now bee seen in the Giraffe Pavilion. Poppy is a one-year-old giraffe. She stands 10 feet tall and weighs about 800 pounds.
“Poppy is very inquisitive and curious and we are excited to have her join our herd,” said Kayla Freeman, supervisor of large mammals. “She will be a great ambassador to teach our guests about giraffes.”
Blank Park Zoo will be celebrating World Giraffe Day on Wednesday, June 21 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Guests will learn about the giraffes that live at Blank Park Zoo and how you can help support efforts to save giraffes that live in natural habitats from extinction.
Poppy joins giraffes Jakobi, Zola, and Skye in addition to Bakari, the giraffe calf born on September 7, 2022.
This week, two new species of birds have been added to the Discovery Center including a green honeycreeper and a silver-beaked tanager. Blank Park Zoo has also recently added three black and white ruffed lemurs, a herd of alpacas, and a pair of cotton-top tamarins.