Benito the Giraffe Moving to More Temperate Climes in Southern Mexico

A giraffe named Benito has left the arid city of Ciudad Juárez in northern Mexico on a 1,200-mile journey to a more temperate climate. The move follows an effort by activists from the collective “Let’s Save Benito,” who were concerned for the giraffe’s welfare, reported BBC News.

Since May, four-year-old Benito had been living alone in unsuitable conditions at Parque Central zoo, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, Reuters and The Guardian reported. In the wild, giraffes live an average of about 25 years, and longer in captivity.

“We’re a little sad that he’s leaving, but it also gives us great pleasure,” said Ciudad Juárez resident Flor Ortega, as reported by The Guardian. “The weather conditions are not suitable for him.”

Summers in Ciudad Juárez were brutal. There weren’t many trees and Benito had to crouch to escape the sun in a small patch of shade. In winter, the pond in his enclosure froze over.

Benito is on his way to the central state of Puebla, where the average low temperature is approximately 20 degrees higher than in Ciudad Juárez. He will live at Africam Safari park with a group of giraffes, including three females.

“It is important that Benito is in favorable conditions in an enclosure where he can be at a controlled temperature with all the food he needs,” said Africam park director Frank Carlos Camacho, as Reuters reported.

En route to Puebla, Benito rode in a roughly 16-foot-tall container with his head sticking out, reported BBC News.

He was covered with a tarp and monitored by veterinarians with sensors and cameras, Camacho said. Snacks included alfalfa, water, fruits and vegetables.

“We can check his temperature, and even talk to him through a microphone that’s inside the container,” Camacho explained, as BBC News reported.

On Monday afternoon, after 15 or 16 hours on the road, Camacho posted a video update, in which he said, “Benito is doing very, very well,” according to The Associated Press.

When they stopped to check the cables of Benito’s travel container, Benito was given “some treats, a little sugar to give him energy,” Camacho added.

The young giraffe’s first home was at a zoo in the Pacific coastal state of Sinaloa, reported The Guardian. Benito was living with a couple, however, and was moved due to worries by zookeepers that the male of the pair would attack Benito.

“He’s ready to be a giraffe. He will reproduce soon, and contribute to the conservation of this wonderful species,” Camacho said, as The Guardian reported.