Happy birthday Vakilia and Kimi the giraffes

The daily portion of pellets consists of three types of pellet food, which helps ensure all the necessary amount and balance of nutrients for our giraffe to feel good and grow big, because now, at the age of three, it is like a 16-year-old young lady in human years. An adult giraffe becomes an adult at the age of about four years, so a complete diet is vital for the development of the animal. In addition to pellets, Vakilia is offered a little carrot, while the main food for these animals is willow branches, bark and leaves, as well as alfalfa hay.

This summer, as part of the public feeding of the Zoo’s animals, visitors have the opportunity to watch the giraffes feasting four times a day. Giraffe feeding takes place every day at 11.30, 14.00, 16.30 and 17.30. A full list of public animal feedings can be found here.

Giraffe Vakilia arrived in Riga on July 22, 2021 from Schmīdinga Zoo in Austria with the support of SIA “Latvijas Mobilais Telefons”.

Nine subspecies of giraffes are found in Africa. Rothschild’s giraffes, whose origins can be traced back to Uganda and Kenya, can be seen in the Riga Zoo. Both poaching and human economic activities continue to reduce the number of giraffes in the wild, and this species was included in the World Red Book in 1996 and recognized as vulnerable to threats (VU-Vulnerable) in 2016. In order to coordinate and monitor the keeping and breeding of giraffes in captivity, a European breeding program for this endangered species was established in 1990, within the framework of which Vakilia was entrusted to the Riga Zoo. You can read more about Rothschild’s giraffes here.