Maryland Zoo, Chapter 7: Giraffe, Okapi, and Lions!

 If you want a fully grown male giraffe to follow you, you'd do well to have something he wants to eat in your hand!  The Maryland Zoo is home to 5 Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata.  This is it's alpha Bull, Caesar.  The others include two adult females, one juvenile male and new born female calf.

 The Giraffe House is a large circular building that provides interior space for the giraffe and a pair of Okapi.

 This past January, Caesar and Juma's offspring was born, a female that zoo has christened Willow.

 This the zoo's male Okapi, Okapia johnstoni.  The distant cousin to the giraffe and endangered in the wild.

 Handsome fellow, eh?

 If I were to wonder, the encounter with the Lions sealed the deal that this was an exceptionally successful visit at the Maryland Zoo.  Three African Lions, Panthera leo were on display, two males and female and all were exceptionally visible and in the mood to be photographed.