The Chattanooga Zoo adds a young giraffe to the herd

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – There’s a new giraffe in town.

The Chattanooga Zoo has added a one year old male to the giraffe herd here.

His name is Kuzco, named after a character in “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

He becomes the fourth giraffe in the herd.

Kuzco is 12 feet tall right now but will grow to 16 feet and blend in with the rest of the herd.

He comes to Chattanooga from New Orleans.

“Kuzco was one of two youngsters born at the Audubon Species Survival Center in 2024,” said Michelle Hatwood, general curator at FMASSC. “Kuzco is now over a year old and has reached the point that he needs to separate from his mom and find his own herd, and we are happy to send him to Chattanooga Zoo to do that. All the male giraffes at Chattanooga Zoo were sent from our herd to theirs, so Kuzco will be able to join his extended family in what we call a ‘bachelor herd.’ He will be greatly missed by his keepers in New Orleans and by his brother, Poe, but separating from the herd to become a mature adult is a natural part of growing up in any giraffe family. While we will miss his antics of chasing his younger brother around, we know he’ll be in excellent care under the supervision of the Chattanooga Zoo animal care team.“

Kuzco made the trip in a fully enclosed trailer, standing all the way.

But that’s not an issue for a giraffe who spends the whole day on their feet and can even sleep standing up.

You can now see Kuzco and the other giraffes at the Cape of Africa section.

“George, Porter and Hardee Star are all fully grown, making them significantly bigger and taller than our newcomer,” said Lacey Hickle, general curator at Chattanooga Zoo. “It has already been so much fun watching the excitement and fascination that guests experience when they see such a young giraffe.”

Hardee Star (left) and Porter (right) meet the new giraffe