Snapp Shots: Sad news at Oakland Zoo, good news at Children’s Fairyland
Sad news from the Oakland Zoo: On Dec. 15 the Animal Care team got a call that there was “an incident” at the giraffe habitat. They rushed over and discovered to their horror that Zawadi, one of the reticulated (spotted) giraffes, had suddenly collapsed and died.
“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.
“In this career, we have the rare honor of spending our lives with some of the most extraordinary beings on this planet,” the Animal Care team announced in a written statement. “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. This job is undeniably hard, and it asks a great deal of us, but it is also a remarkable way to spend a life.’
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 and they didn’t pick up anything during travel. Once they were cleared by the vet, we played it by-the-book to make sure there were no bad interactions.
“We brought Cookie over to the fence for about a week, then we let them have supervised play to learn respect for each other’s spaces. We kept extending their time together and checking in to make sure everybody got along. As of this week they are fully integrated and are ready to meet people.”
But what to name them? As always, Fairyland polled its customers — the children who visit the park — and the kids have spoken. The calico-colored girl has been named Stardust, and the boy, who is almost totally white, is now called Bowie. He’s a little shyer than Stardust but is gaining confidence every day and is now super-snuggly.
“He’s full of kisses,” says Chill. “He kisses Cookie and staff members who come into the enclosure. He’s still half Cookie’s size, so he loves to get up on his hind legs and give her a head butt to get her to play with him. Half the time she does it. She’s a very distinguished senior citizen, but I’ve caught her playing with him a few times now.”
Speaking of senior citizens, Gideon the miniature donkey is now 35, making him the park’s oldest resident. That’s no surprise because the animals at Fairyland tend to live much longer than their expected life spans due to all the tender loving care they get.
Meanwhile, Stardust and Bowie have learned one thing: “They’re very good at telling time,” says Chill. “They know when it’s breakfast time and dinner time. I listen to them yelling at the gate. It’s very cute.”
You and your children can meet them this weekend, which also happens to be the park’s last weekend of Fairy Winterland, a gala annual celebration featuring twinkling light displays, nightly shows on the Emerald City Stage, an appearance by Fairyland’s Black Santa for kids to share their Christmas wishes, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, games and complimentary hot cocoa and cider. The fun runs from noon to 7 p.m.
By the way, the one thing you’ll never hear from Santa is a hearty “Ho-ho-ho!” It scares little kids.
My sincere wishes go out to you for a merry Christmas and happy New Year. Here’s hoping it’s better than this year.
Martin Snapp can be reached at catman442@comcast.net.