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Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
Have you ever had a staring contest with a giraffe? Mr. David O’Connor has, and he says they can last hours at a time! Mr. O’Connor is a Research Coordinator at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and he works with a type of giraffe called the reticulated giraffe. You can “spot” different kinds of giraffes by looking at where they live and their spot patterns. Reticulated giraffes live in northern Kenya and Somalia, and their spots are light brown or orange with sharp edges. It looks kind of like fishing net!
Mr. O’Connor says that one of the reasons he likes to work with giraffes is because they look so cool. That’s hard to deny; they are the tallest animals in the world! Do you think they look cool? Mr. O’Connor also likes to work with them because, while most people know what giraffes are, not much is known about their lifestyles. For example, most giraffes live with a group of other giraffes called towers. Sometimes, the giraffes in a tower will split up or leave for no apparent reason. Now why do they do that? Not even giraffe experts know yet. Another thing that is unknown about giraffes is how they communicate. Mr. O’Connor says that they might “talk” to each other by making noises so low that only other giraffes can hear them. No one knows for sure, though. Giraffes also sometimes fight with each other by hitting their necks together. The reason they do this is also a mystery. Is it for territory? For food? Who knows…?
While there are lots of things we don’t know about giraffes, we do know one thing for certain: reticulated giraffes are endangered, which means there aren’t many of them left in the wild. The reason giraffe numbers are going down is because of poaching, which is when humans kill endangered animals for food or materials. In 1998, there were around 36,000 reticulated giraffes living in Africa. Right now, there are only about 8,600. By 2021, there will be no reticulated giraffes left in the wild. Don’t be sad, though. You can help get their numbers back up! Organizations like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation are working to help giraffes in the wild. Ask your parents to check out their website at www.giraffeconservation.org to see what you can do to help! If you want to help spread awareness right away, then follow the instructions for the giraffe craft down below. When you’re done, show your friends and tell them what you learned about giraffes!
Giraffe Craft!
Objective: Using recycled household items, kids will create a giraffe from scratch while learning about the animal’s anatomy. Kids should be encouraged to share what they learned about giraffes from the article with others while they create or show the craft.
Materials:
Have you ever had a staring contest with a giraffe? Mr. David O’Connor has, and he says they can last hours at a time! Mr. O’Connor is a Research Coordinator at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and he works with a type of giraffe called the reticulated giraffe. You can “spot” different kinds of giraffes by looking at where they live and their spot patterns. Reticulated giraffes live in northern Kenya and Somalia, and their spots are light brown or orange with sharp edges. It looks kind of like fishing net!
Mr. O’Connor says that one of the reasons he likes to work with giraffes is because they look so cool. That’s hard to deny; they are the tallest animals in the world! Do you think they look cool? Mr. O’Connor also likes to work with them because, while most people know what giraffes are, not much is known about their lifestyles. For example, most giraffes live with a group of other giraffes called towers. Sometimes, the giraffes in a tower will split up or leave for no apparent reason. Now why do they do that? Not even giraffe experts know yet. Another thing that is unknown about giraffes is how they communicate. Mr. O’Connor says that they might “talk” to each other by making noises so low that only other giraffes can hear them. No one knows for sure, though. Giraffes also sometimes fight with each other by hitting their necks together. The reason they do this is also a mystery. Is it for territory? For food? Who knows…?
While there are lots of things we don’t know about giraffes, we do know one thing for certain: reticulated giraffes are endangered, which means there aren’t many of them left in the wild. The reason giraffe numbers are going down is because of poaching, which is when humans kill endangered animals for food or materials. In 1998, there were around 36,000 reticulated giraffes living in Africa. Right now, there are only about 8,600. By 2021, there will be no reticulated giraffes left in the wild. Don’t be sad, though. You can help get their numbers back up! Organizations like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation are working to help giraffes in the wild. Ask your parents to check out their website at www.giraffeconservation.org to see what you can do to help! If you want to help spread awareness right away, then follow the instructions for the giraffe craft down below. When you’re done, show your friends and tell them what you learned about giraffes!
Giraffe Craft!
Objective: Using recycled household items, kids will create a giraffe from scratch while learning about the animal’s anatomy. Kids should be encouraged to share what they learned about giraffes from the article with others while they create or show the craft.
Materials:
- 1 Empty Paper Towel Roll
- 1 Empty Toilet Paper Roll
- 2 Pieces of Recycled Paper
- Light Brown Crayons
- Safety Scissors
- Glue or Tape
- 1 Used Plastic Cup
- 6 Broken or Worn Out Pencils
- Yarn
- 2-3 Pebbles from Outside
