Feed a Giraffe
See what its like to stand eye to eye with a Giraffe in the new Maryland Zoo Giraffe Feeding Plaza. Over the past year we’ve been hard at work building an awesome plaza that gives guests a on-of-a-kind experience. So bring your entire family and experience the Maryland Zoo giraffes like never before.
Beginning Saturday May 10, 2008 the Giraffe Feeding Plaza will be open everyday from 10:30am until 3:00pm. For $2.00 you will get to feed the giraffes a leafy branch of browse.
Giraffe Feeding Plaza Facts
Designed by CLRdesign, inc. a Philadelphia-based
architecture, planning, landscape architecture, and exhibit design firm.
Built by the Baltimore offices of HITT Contracting, Inc.
The Giraffe Feeding Station features a gated feeding area where the public can
purchase browse and feed the giraffe as well as a separate deck for viewing
and photography. There is a large hand-washing station – always wash after feeding a giraffe! There is also a small gift shop featuring giraffe and elephant souveniers.
It will cost the public $2 to feed a branch of acacia browse. Hours will be 10:30 am – 3:30 pm, weather permitting.
Construction time was about 6 months. Projected started July 31, 2007 and was substantially completed was Dec 12, 2007.
Construction cost was $750,000. Funded with State dollars, it was dedicated on May 9, 2008 by A.B. Krongard in honor of his grandchildren - Alex, Ben, Caroline, Luke, Lilly, Maggie and Brandon. Mr. Krongard has a long association with the Zoo Board of Trustees and has supported the zoo not only with his personal time and leadership skills, but financially as well.
Maryland Zoo has 5 reticulated giraffes – Gretchen, 22; Mary, 22; Zoe, 14; Angel, 12 and Caesar, 1 ½. Mary is the mother of Zoe and Angel. Caesar came to the Zoo from the Jacksonville Zoo.
The Zoo’s five giraffes watched curiously as the Station was being constructed last year, and they have spent the Spring exploring the new area and learning to take “browse” – branches of acacia – from people.
The Giraffe House was opened in 1965 – Built for approximately $200,000 by the City of Baltimore.
The Zoo’s first two giraffes were made possible by a gift from The Gildea Foundation.