Two female giraffes have arrived at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, joining Gage, the zoo’s male, and setting up a three-giraffe herd for the fall. The zoo announced the arrival on June 25, 2026.
The females are four years old and stand an estimated 13 feet tall, a little shorter than Gage. They came from another AZA-accredited facility, and they are already visible to guests in the back area of the giraffe habitat while they settle in under the care of the zoo’s animal team.
Gage stays in the main habitat for now. The females are completing recommended reproductive management protocols first, and zoo staff expect all three giraffes to share the habitat later this fall. The two new arrivals do not have names yet; the zoo says it will share them once they are chosen.
“Welcoming these two female giraffes is an exciting milestone for the Zoo and a wonderful opportunity for our guests to connect with these incredible animals,” said Erin Bussom, General Curator. “Through our work with accredited zoological and conservation partners, we help support the long-term sustainability of giraffe populations while inspiring guests to learn more about the important role these animals play in the wild.”
You can still feed Gage, and eventually all three
Giraffe feedings with Gage continue on the usual schedule, daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The encounter puts you eye to eye with him and close enough to watch a 15-inch prehensile tongue go to work. It costs $6 per person, or $5 for annual passholders. Later this fall, guests will be able to feed all three giraffes.
About the animal
Giraffes can grow to more than 15 feet tall as adults, and they are already 6 feet tall at birth. Native to the African savanna, they work as pollinators and seed dispersers while feeding on leaves and flowers high in the treetops, and their long prehensile tongues reach food no other herbivore can get to. Every giraffe carries a coat pattern unique to that animal, the way a fingerprint is.
Three giraffes in one Florida habitat by the end of the year is a good reason to check back in.
