ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. – Four male Masai giraffes have made their way to the Potawatomi Zoo last night. 

Their names are Seymour, who is five years old, Maximus, who is five years old, Wyatt, who is five years old and Kellan, who is just two years old.

The giraffes have not yet made it to their enclosure just yet. They are kept isolated from animals and have minimal contact with humans. It’s the protocol that all animals quarantine before they call the zoo their new home.

“We don’t typically publicize animal arrivals before they’re out of quarantine,” says Josh Sisk, executive director of the Potawatomi Zoo. “However, we know how excited people are about these guys coming in, so we wanted to assure the public they’re here, and we’re thrilled to start working with them.”

The quarantine time helps giraffes settle into a routine and get used to staff and unfamiliar sights and sounds of the zoo.

The Potawatomi Zoo wants to build a strong bond between staff and the giraffes. This bond is crucial to their care.

“Our top priority is their mental and physical well-being,” Sisk adds. “It’s hard to definitively predict the timeline, but we can’t wait to share them with the public as soon as we’re able.”

You can catch a glimpse of Seymour, Maximus, Wyatt and Kellan in the 2022 Zoo season.

They will be housed in the 10,000 square foot giraffe barn and 2.3-acre savanna as a part of a $4.6 million-dollar campaign. This was the largest in the zoo’s history. Neary 350 private donors, corporations, foundations and organizations donated to the campaign for the past two years.