Makana Moves To Maui
Click to See Moving Day
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Makana, affectionately known as "Squirt" by his keepers and volunteers at the Honolulu Zoo, has moved to Kula, Maui from Oahu. Born September 17, 1999, he was hand raised because his mother rejected him at birth. He immediately endeared himself to everyone he came in contact with, including the other giraffes. The following is an account of his moving day.
The day went smoothly. With a crowd watching and television cameras rolling, Thursday, March 30th, we loaded Makana ("Squirt") into his travel crate without a hitch. The many hours his zookeepers Miki, Shirley and a group of volunteers devoted to acclimating him to the crate and the changes to come, really paid off.
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The loading onto the barge was uneventful and the crossing was the calmest the tug boat captain experienced in all of his 18 years. Butch Ball, Honolulu Zoo Mammal Curator and three personnel from the Keiki Zoo Maui accompanied Makana. Butch related that the channel was like a lake. "Watching the sun set and the moon com up was surreal", said Butch. "The stars were so beautiful, we could see the constellations and Makana was just fine the whole time. Once an hour, like clockwork, Makana would knock the side of his crate and we would give him a handful of hay, which he would chew, swallow and then bring up to chew as cud. He was quite content."
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"When we arrived Friday, the loading onto the truck went very smoothly. The drive up to Kula was easy, and when we opened Makana's crate to release him into his pen, all he needed was to see his bottle and he was out and happy", Butch continued.
Ken Redman, Honolulu Zoo Director, Ben Okimoto our zoo veterinarian, Betsy Lyons and Butch Ball made site visits to the Keiki Maui Zoo ahead of shipping to ensure that their animal care was of the highest standards.
The Keiki Zoo, owned and lead by Director Wanda Riggs is a Chidren's Discovery Center. It is a learning and education center dedicated to ...raising the self-esteem in children via animals. The facility has been doing this for eight years on three acres of land in up-country Maui.
For tour information and to visit Makana at the Keiki Zoo Maui, call (808)878-2189
THANKS TO ALL THE WONDERFUL KEEPERS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT HELPED TAKE CARE OF ONE VERY SPECIAL LITTLE GIRAFFE!
HE IS MISSED BY EVERYONE!
 Makana (Hawaiian word for "Gift") born 9/17/1999 |
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 A note on his crate from one of his keepers |
