Auckland Zoo’s two-year-old giraffe Shira begins a three-day sea voyage south to Timaru today, bound for a new home at Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park.
Shira’s journey, in a 4.m purpose-built crate, begins at 9.00am with a road trip through Auckland to the Port to board the Shansi, a Quadrant Pacific Line container ship.
The top part of Shira’s crate ‘window’ will be opened for Shira to view out. People may catch sight of Shira as she travels along, most likely when stopped at traffic lights.
The route will follow Old Mill Road, Motions Rd, Great North Road, St Lukes Rd, Balmoral Road, Mt Eden Road, Symonds St, Anzac Ave and Beach Rd.
On arrival at Ports of Auckland, Shira’s crate will be craned onto the ship, Shansi for a mid-afternoon departure. The sea voyage is expected to take between 2-3 days, and road trip from Timaru to Orana Wildlife Park around three hours.
Accompanying the giraffe for the 734 nautical mile sailing, and then road trip from Timaru will be the Zoo’s vet manager Dr James Chatterton, Pridelands team leader Nat Sullivan, and keeper Larry Lee.
“We’ll have full access to be with her and check on her at all times to assist her in feeling safe and secure, and hopefully we’ll get a smooth sailing”, says Nat.
The young female is being relocated to progress the Australasian zoos’ regional breeding programme. A second Auckland Zoo female, Mdomo, will follow in early 2016.
“We’ve been training them together to walk into and eat in their respective crates, which they both have been taking in their stride,” says Nat.
