Stopping By for a Drink

There's a newbie in the giraffe yard at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, but if you look carefully, you'll notice it doesn't move a muscle. In the early morning hours of April 21, before the zoo opened, a crew used a boom to lower a giant giraffe sculpture into the African Rift Valley exhibit. It was created by Antonia Chastain to look as if it were drinking from a waterhole. Weighing in at over 500 pounds, it took quite a few hands to move the sculpture into place. As you can see in the video, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's "real" giraffe herd was quite intrigued by the addition!

Like all animals, giraffe need water to survive. Though they can go a long time without drinking, they do eventually make their way to a waterhole to quench their thirst. Giraffe can drink as much as 10 gallons (38 liters) a day. When they do visit the waterhole, drinking water can be a matter of life or death. When they take a drink, giraffe bend a long way down and often spread their front legs in an awkward fashion. It’s no easy task! Doing this makes it easier for a predator to attack. Just to take a drink of water, giraffe may risk their lives. They often visit the waterhole in groups for protection.

The new giraffe drinking sculpture at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is in honor of the wonderfully humble life of Betty Francis, who served as a docent and board member at the zoo. She cared deeply about wildlife and conservation. We hope the sculpture inspires children of all ages for years to come.

The sculpture is lowered into the giraffe yard using a boom.



Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's "real" giraffe herd inspects the addition.