Maguari

Giraffe Paddock at Jacksonville, 10/10/13

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Home to giraffes that seem to run the gamut from fairly pure-looking Reticulateds to full-on zoo mix.
Home to giraffes that seem to run the gamut from fairly pure-looking Reticulateds to full-on zoo mix.
 
Jacksonville's giraffe exhibit is one of my favourites, with its trees, rocks, grass and meandering wooden boardwalk that allows for visitor feeding sessions with the animals. Are there still kudu or any other antelope species mixed in with the giraffes?
 
The scale in this photo is hard to judge, I thought it was super big (with massive palms) until I realised the giraffe walking closest to the camera isn't an adult. Its legs look really weird too, I guess its just in the process of standing up/sitting down.
 
Jacksonville's giraffe exhibit is one of my favourites, with its trees, rocks, grass and meandering wooden boardwalk that allows for visitor feeding sessions with the animals. Are there still kudu or any other antelope species mixed in with the giraffes?

No, just the giraffes currently (the last animals to share the paddock were the now-banished Speke's Gazelles, which are still visible (just) from the boardwalk).

It's an attractive paddock, but I found the viewing a little limited (probably my biggest qualm with the larger US zoos in general) - there is often only quite a short viewing area so if the zoo is busy it can be difficult to get a good look. Particularly at Disney where some of the docents seemed to make a point of standing right in the middle of the viewing window...

It's only a minor niggle, though.



The scale in this photo is hard to judge, I thought it was super big (with massive palms) until I realised the giraffe walking closest to the camera isn't an adult. Its legs look really weird too, I guess its just in the process of standing up/sitting down.

No, it's just walking across the paddock - just a gangly young giraffe! :D
 
Snow when I was there this summer it appeared to be Kudu were with the White Rhino who looked different than any white rhino I had ever seen before almost a "color morph". And it was either an oversized Juvenile or they actually mix Nyala in there as well because I have a picture of what appears to be a large male kudu with horns that only have one turn. If I can find it I can show you guys. There is no way a zoo mixed Nyala and Kudu right?
 
Snow when I was there this summer it appeared to be Kudu were with the White Rhino who looked different than any white rhino I had ever seen before almost a "color morph". And it was either an oversized Juvenile or they actually mix Nyala in there as well because I have a picture of what appears to be a large male kudu with horns that only have one turn. If I can find it I can show you guys. There is no way a zoo mixed Nyala and Kudu right?

It's not unthinkable, but I think a 'teenage' Greater Kudu is more likely.

The only male I saw in October was a very handsome beast with some 'proper' kudu horns ( http://www.zoochat.com/574/greater-kudu-jacksonville-10-10-13-a-342496/ ), but there could easily have been another (or he could have left in the autumn some time).
 
Yeah I saw your picture he is an impressive specimen. I hadn't seen anything about Nyala at Jacksonville so I had leaned on large teenager or male with hormone deficiency. I have the picture on my phone I think. Its basically a kudu with only one twist (no Nyala neck mane either)
 

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