(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) is inviting the public to come to celebrate Panya the Giraffe’s and a special guest’s birthday on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
According to CMZoo, Panya is the smallest-statured giraffe in the CMZoo tower although she has secured her spot as a confident standout in the herd with a lot of independence since moving into the zoo in 2019. Panya will be turning 7 years old on Aug. 13.
Deanna Sinclair, an animal keeper in the African Rift Valley, says Panya knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to communicate it. Panya voluntarily participates in blood draws and hoof care.
Blood draw training allows her to provide blood samples that help her care team monitor her health and contribute to a giraffe calf blood plasma bank. It also helps biologists study giraffe health on a broader scale.
“When we’re training, most giraffes have subtle ‘tells’ that indicate they’re ready to move on to the next activity,” Sinclair said. “They might twitch or flap their ears, but Panya will look at us and just calmly walk away, or move her head to the opposite side of a target stick to tell us she’s finished. Which is fine! It’s her choice, and she knows it.”
Besides being the shortest, Panya’s easy patterns make her easy to pick out in the herd. CMZoo says she’s fluffier than most giraffes her age, and her markings have one white spot in the middle of her brown spots.
Panya has an ash-colored face, thick ossicones and weighs around 1,350 pounds. Whereas, other giraffes her age typically weigh between 1,500 to 2,000 pounds.
“Every giraffe is different, just like people are, and her small stature is part of what makes her unique,” CMZoo reported.
The zoo also says although Panya is confident, she doesn’t rush into new enrichment, locations, or activities. She enjoys experiencing new things at her own pace, and will slowly approach and investigate thoughtfully.
When she’s not training, exploring, or taking lettuce from CMZoo guests, Panya likes to interact with enrichment in unique ways such as hitting things with her head and kicking things with her long legs.
“She’s very tactile with enrichment,” Sinclair said. “She likes to stand over items in the yard and nudge them with her hooves, or stand next to a long hanging string of boomer balls and knock them around with her head. We don’t really see other giraffes do that, but she seems to enjoy it.”
Panya will receive a birthday party and a special treat offered to her by a special Children’s Hospital Colorado patient family. Festivities kick-off at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, individuals can visit CMZoo’s docent booth at the giraffe boardwalk in the African Rift Valley to learn more about the natural world and make Panya a birthday card.
The zoo will also be celebrating the 10th birthday of a special guest from Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Individuals can visit Children’s Colorado photo booth or their coloring station. At 11 a.m., a giraffe keeper will talk on the boardwalk, and at 11:30 a.m., guests will sing Happy Birthday to Panya with a birthday cake made out of grain, fruit, and veggies.
All activities are free, but tickets to enter the Zoo are required for members and the general public. Tickets can be bought online at the link above.
