Snapp Shots: Sad news at Oakland Zoo, good news at Children's Fairyland

"He was our brave, sweet boy, they said in a statement. He was highly intelligent, accomplished in training, remarkably social and delighted to meet new people. Zawadi joined the giraffe herd in 2021 and became a devoted big brother to Kendi and a cherished friend to Tsavo and Nuru. He loved playfully sparring with the boys and was a beloved member of the entire Oakland Zoo community. Everyone misses him terribly."

"We love and care for them deeply, and we are profoundly fortunate to do this work. In moments of loss we have always found it helpful to carry forward for the animals who still depend on us each day to recognize each as an individual, to honor them for who they are and to continue showing them the same love, care and respect that brought us to this work in the first place. It's the best way we can honor Zawadi."

"The news is much happier at Children's Fairyland in Oakland, which just welcomed two adorable baby goats to its menagerie. They come from a small family farm near Sacramento, where they were bottle-fed by hand, which made them much more people-friendly. They've already made friends with Cookie, the Nigerian goat. We did a slow introduction, says Chill, Fairyland's animal caregiver. We quarantined them first to make sure there were no parasites, their vaccinations were up to date."

Zawadi, a reticulated giraffe at the Oakland Zoo, suddenly collapsed and died on Dec. 15. He was brave, sweet, highly intelligent, accomplished in training, remarkably social and delighted to meet new people. Zawadi joined the herd in 2021, became a devoted big brother to Kendi, and a cherished friend to Tsavo and Nuru. He enjoyed playfully sparring with the males and was beloved by the Oakland Zoo community. Continuing to recognize each animal as an individual and providing love, care, and respect honors Zawadi. Children's Fairyland welcomed two bottle-fed baby goats from a family farm near Sacramento; they were quarantined and vaccinated before a slow introduction that led to friendships with resident goat Cookie.

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