General Manager Matt Oldenburg pets Gabriel in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

George, left, the zoo's newest giraffe, and Josie make a connection in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

General Manager Matt Oldenburg talks about the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Zoo guests pass by the the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel stands near the barn in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Millie sticks out her tongue in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel's eye reflects the photographer and world around him in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel stands inside the barn at the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel peers over the railing inside the barn at the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Sisters Josie, right, and Millie are pictured outside the barn in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Sisters Josie, from left, and Millie walk past their father Gabriel in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabrielle stands in the giraffe-sized doorway of the barn inside the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Josie, left, and her sister Millie are pictured in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

George, the zoo's newest giraffe, is pictured inside the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

George, right, the zoo's newest giraffe, and Millie are pictured in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

General Manager Matt Oldenburg pets Gabriel in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

George, left, the zoo's newest giraffe, and Josie make a connection in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

General Manager Matt Oldenburg talks about the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Zoo guests pass by the the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel stands near the barn in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Millie sticks out her tongue in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel's eye reflects the photographer and world around him in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel stands inside the barn at the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabriel peers over the railing inside the barn at the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Sisters Josie, right, and Millie are pictured outside the barn in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Sisters Josie, from left, and Millie walk past their father Gabriel in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Gabrielle stands in the giraffe-sized doorway of the barn inside the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

Josie, left, and her sister Millie are pictured in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

George, the zoo's newest giraffe, is pictured inside the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

George, right, the zoo's newest giraffe, and Millie are pictured in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in Broussard, La.

A new residence in Broussard boasts 16-foot tall doors, refreshing water features, sweeping views and an outdoor entertainment area. The catch? The new residents are Zoosiana’s family of giraffes. 

The new enclosure sits on roughly an acre of land and includes a main outdoor yard, two smaller paddocks and a barn. The barn includes a 1,200 square-foot front porch and a 2,400 square-foot enclosed living area with four stalls and a service room for caretakers, general manager Matt Oldenburg said.

The zoo’s staff closed the facility on March 15 to complete the giraffes’ move from their original barn to the new, larger habitat. The zoo’s two females, sisters Josie and Millie, were moved via a transport trailer first, followed by their father, Gabriel.

Missing was mother giraffe Evangeline, who died exactly one year before following a fight with chronic leg pain and lameness.

“We lost our female giraffe, Evangeline, on March 15. It was one year to the day. Those of us who are sentimental were kind of convinced she was watching over her family and maybe she played a part in getting everyone here cooperatively, safely and letting it go as good as it did,” Oldenburg said.

The new giraffe habitat is complete at Zoosiana, and four giraffes -- Gabriel, his daughters Josie and Millie, and the newest addition, George…

While Evangeline did not live to see the new enclosure, Zoosiana hopes to include her by adding a statue and devotional plaque at the Giraffe Center’s entrance, he said.

The giraffe family has spent the two weeks since the move learning their new surroundings. Oldenburg and his team said they’ve tried to bring familiar items like food and water buckets from the old enclosure to ease the move.

The idea is to allow the giraffes to acclimate at a comfortable pace, he said.

“Everything here is new. They’ve never seen the train from this angle, they’ve never seen a vehicle. Sounds are different from where they were before. They’re having to build that trust and comfort with all of these things,” Oldenburg said.

The new living arrangements aren’t the only thing the giraffe family is growing accustomed to. The day of the move, Zoosiana welcomed a new giraffe, almost 9-month-old George, who joined the zoo from a facility in Kansas, Oldenburg said.

George will one day be a potential mate for Josie and Millie, and so far all three giraffes have welcomed the newcomer. Josie has especially taken a liking to George, greeting him through the fence line between their yards with head nuzzles, the general manager said.

Oldenburg said Zoosiana planned the new giraffe enclosure to support its breeding program, with the hope that one day their family will number between six and eight giraffes.

The team tried to make the facility as hardy as possible, he said.

“Gabriel was our model for just about everything,” he said. “We learned from experience and trial and error at the old barn – how strong is a giraffe who can push on something? If he can reach it, will he mess with it? If he can’t reach it, will he try to mess with it? Anything we didn’t love about the old barn we either eliminated it with the new one or improved it.”

George, left, the zoo's newest giraffe, Millie, center, and her sister Josie enjoy the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosia…

The new barn features three single stalls, measuring 20 by 20 feet, and a larger herd stall, measuring 20 by 40 feet. The barn has eight giraffe-sized doors, and each stall has access outside and to the stall next to it, so caretakers can move a single giraffe between stalls and the yard or smaller paddocks without disrupting the rest of the herd, Oldenburg said.

The general manager said all the doors can be manually opened and closed from an upstairs loft through either a rigged pulley system or sliding latches.

The loft is much more spacious than the old barn’s, allowing caretakers to do quick checks on the giraffes’ bedding, water and food, and also offering room for veterinary staff to conduct wellness checks on the giraffes at eye level if needed, Oldenburg said.

“We looked at giraffe barns all over the U.S. and we pulled details that we liked…You go to these places and ask, ‘What do you like? What do you not like? What works?’ and you try to learn from what other people would do differently if they could do it again,” he said.

General Manager Matt Oldenburg talks about the amenities and design of the barn in the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosia…

The fully insulated barn was made primarily with aluminum, stainless steel and galvanized metal. It has a dual heating system to keep the giraffes warm when temperatures take a prolonged dip below 65 degrees, and fans to help replace the air every five minutes to keep things cool when it’s hot out, with temperature readers in each stall, Oldenburg said.

The Zoosiana team also put their own unique spin on the barn’s features. The enclosure includes a covered front porch, where the giraffes can enjoy the fresh air while also remaining dry during Louisiana’s frequent rainstorms, he said.

They installed a metal bell in the barn’s loft, which caretakers plan to use to train the giraffes to more swiftly enter the barn, by associating the sound with treats or meal time. The goal is to be able to more quickly get the giraffes inside at night time and in the case of bad weather, Oldenburg said.

George, the zoo's newest giraffe, stands inside the barn at the new giraffe habitat Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Zoosiana - Zoo of Acadiana in…

No detail was too small to consider during the planning stage, the general manager said.

From ensuring that floor drains were smaller than the giraffes’ hooves so they couldn’t punch through the drain covers, to building the stall walls higher than the loft’s floor so debris wouldn’t accidentally fall into the stalls while cleaning, they tried to think about how giraffes and humans would interact with each piece of the enclosure, he said.

“It’s just little things like that that matter,” Oldenburg said.

Email Katie Gagliano at kgagliano@theadvocate.com. 

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