Zawadi Today

With several orphaned baby giraffes calling Reteti home, Zawadi’s days are filled with a sense of belonging as they embark on the path of rehabilitation and learn the ways of the wild with their peers. And since they’re not all the same age, she is “mentored” by older giraffes too – while enjoying bonds with friends her own age. One of Zawadi’s favourite companions is Lpusi, and you’ll regularly see these two strolling around happily. 

Because animals are often named after the area in which they were rescued, things can get quite confusing around here! We have many long-necked orphans who are named Naitemu (or the female version – Leitemu), and keepers even call out to Zawadi with a loving “Leitemu, Leitemu!” sometimes! Thankfully, there’s no confusion among the orphans – only us humans. These giraffes are so clever and thriving in their own characters – they know exactly who they are. 

Zawadi’s growth since those early days has been simply remarkable and we are so proud of how far she has come. From being frail and dehydrated, she’s now a healthy, confident and big-hearted personality – truly a gift to anyone lucky enough to cross her path!

In terms of her appetite, we’re also happy to report that she absolutely loves her bottle feeds, and can’t get enough of the nutritious goat milk that constitutes her diet at this stage of her development. It’s going to be thrilling to watch her learn how to forage – and see which plants she favours once she’s old enough to eat solid foods.