Tanzi is safely reunited with sister Shani. Pictures: MOGO ZOO, Andy Zakeli, Kirk Gilmour, Ken Irwin
The journey starts at Melbourne Zoo.
Hume Highway.
Marulan Truck Stop.
Roundabout at Old Mount Ousley Rd.
Kiama Bypass at Minnamurra.
Dunmore.
Mogo Zoo.
After a two-day trip from Melbourne - pretty much all of it standing up - Tanzi the Rothschild's giraffe arrived at her new home at Mogo Zoo yesterday afternoon.
The giraffe's trip took her through Wollongong yesterday morning, though she chose not to poke her head out the back of her crate and watch the traffic.
Instead, it was a subdued Tanzi who travelled through the Illawarra yesterday, remaining tucked away in the crate for the duration of the journey.
Her shy nature didn't stop drivers taking in the spectacle however, with traffic banking up behind the truck as people stretched their necks to get a better look.
Zoo general manager John Appleby said she arrived at Mogo Zoo at 1pm yesterday, and added that giraffes were actually more comfortable standing up.
"She was quite relaxed during the trip and during the unloading process," Mr Appleby said.
"We had a couple of all-terrain four-wheel-drive forklifts either side which took her off the truck and then took her close to a kilometre to the savannah."
She was initially released into the nighthouse, a 10-metre structure where the giraffes sleep, where her pen was separated by a wire fence from resident giraffes Ajuma, baby Shaba and Shani, who is Tanzi's sister.
"As soon as she arrived Shani and Ajuma came straight over to the fence and were within a couple of metres and they were all quite relaxed and happy to see each other," Mr Appleby said.
"Shaba, our 14-month-old baby, he was just sitting down on the grass, he wasn't really fazed by it all."
Later in the afternoon, the male Ajuma was moved into a separate pen and the two sisters got to know each other.
But Mr Appleby said it was unlikely they would recognise each other.
"We don't think that will really happen," he said.
"They will certainly recognise another giraffe and they're comfortable with her but I don't think they're going to say 'Oh, I remember you sis'."
Tanzi has been brought to the zoo as part of a breeding program for the endangered Rothschild's giraffe.
Mr Appleby said the animals had a 16-month gestation period and the zoo was hopeful Tanzi and Ajuma would get to work on making a new baby soon.
