Conservation and breeding efforts shuffled three giraffes around Colorado zoos this year — one returning home to Denver after months away, another joining the Denver herd and a third finding a new home in Colorado Springs, according to zoo officials.
“All three giraffes traveled safely, and the moves went smoothly from start to finish,” the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance . “…Our dedicated animal care team is closely monitoring everyone to help ensure an easy transition as they continue to settle in.”
Jasiri, a 5-year-old breeding bull, temporarily moved to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs in January to support conservation efforts for reticulated giraffes, according to the Denver Zoo.
Several female giraffes at the Colorado Springs zoo were recommended for breeding under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan, but Khalid — the zoo’s former breeding bull — died in 2025 at 17 years old, Denver officials said.
Species survival plans “ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied AZA population,” . Program officials monitor populations at AZA-accredited zoos and carefully match animals for breeding.
As of Wednesday, Jasiri had officially returned to the Denver Zoo. He was joined by Panya, an 8-year-old female giraffe from Cheyenne Mountain who arrived in Denver on a breeding recommendation, according to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
The move reunited Panya with her previous herdmate, BB, who was relocated from Cheyenne Mountain to Denver in 2022.
Jasiri and BB’s 1-year-old calf, Thorn, who was born at the Denver Zoo in March 2025, has been permanently moved to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to join the Colorado Springs herd, zoo officials said. Thorn was the .
“While these changes may feel bittersweet, they play a vital role in giraffe conservation … and moves like these are carefully planned with each individual’s well-being in mind,” . “We’re excited for whatap ahead for our herds and for the continued impact these efforts will have on giraffe conservation for years to come.”
