Cheyenne Mountain Zoo celebrates giraffe’s seventh birthday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A crowd watched on as the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZ) presented its specialty giraffe-friendly birthday cake to Panya for her seventh birthday Tuesday afternoon.

The excess feeding excited a large portion of giraffes, making for the best kind of interview interruptions.

Children's hospital ambassador, 11-year-old Parker Reppart, presented the cake to Panya or attempted to, anyway, but the shyer giraffe held back and let her more outgoing counterparts in on the action.

"I think that she appreciated it," said Cheyenne Mountain Zoo giraffe keeper Kelsey Newman.

The crowd didn't seem to mind, singing Panya happy birthday anyway and feeding all and any giraffes that were interested in the food, which was most of them.

“Having these events helps bridge the gap between humans and animals and helps spark passion between them because what’s not to love!" Newman said.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo public relations director Rachel Wright said fostering that passion helps bring people in the door and introduces money back into the wildlife community.

Since the zoo started its "Quarters for Conservation" initiative by donating 75 cents of every admission ticket to conservation efforts, Wright said the zoo has raised over $5 million. She said fostering personal attachments between zoo-goers and the zoo-creatures keeps wild animals, and animals like Panya, cared for.

“We’re hoping that those individual connections leave people with memories that inspire them to care for these amazing animals in the wild," Wright said.

In the end, Panya did eventually get some of her birthday cake. Wright and Newman said it just takes a little time for her to come out of her shell.