Growing the Herd: ABQ BioPark Welcomes New Giraffe!
The young male giraffe is settling in nicely to his new home and is already adored by his care team.
ABQ BioPark is thrilled to welcome Tesoro, a young reticulated giraffe, to the BioPark Zoo.
Tesoro, which means treasure in Spanish, arrived on May 4 from El Paso Zoo.
He is a year old and can be distinguished from his herd mates, Camilla and Niara, as the smallest giraffe. Though, once he finishes growing in the next four to five years, he will likely be the tallest. Fully grown male giraffes can reach up to 18 feet in height!
Tesoro is settling in well and is already very interactive and trusting with his care team.
“He has a good appetite and he really likes tactile touch from us,” said Rhiannon, a member of his care team.
He is also doing great in early introductions with his herd mates. They are currently separated to ensure there is plenty of time for everyone to adjust to the new member, but he has already been seen nuzzling up with the two female giraffes over the fence and sharing food with them.
These gentle greetings are promising behavior, so he will likely be fully integrated into the herd in the next couple weeks if all continues to go smoothly.
Tesoro’s arrival marks an exciting new chapter for the giraffe herd and parallels natural giraffe behavior in the wild, where young males leave their family groups, known as towers, to join a new group.
His move to the BioPark is a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan to support future breeding opportunities. Reticulated giraffes are an endangered species, and his arrival will help support healthy, genetically diverse populations dedicated to the long-term survival of the species.
Tesoro’s arrival to the BioPark is especially meaningful because he has family ties to Albuquerque. His late father, Juma, was born at BioPark in 2007 before moving to El Paso in 2010. Now, that family line may help shape the next generation of giraffes at the BioPark.