NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — What better day to celebrate the tallest land mammal in the world than on the longest day of the year? Saturday, June 21 marks World Giraffe Day!

Since the opening of the Nashville Zoo's new leopard forest on Friday, visitors can once again see its Masai giraffes -- Nasha, Violet, Tazama, Amira and Kendi -- from public viewing areas.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday the zoo is hosting all kinds of giraffe-themed activities, including arts and crafts, photo opportunities, face painting and more.

Zoo keepers will host chats at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to answer questions about the animals and explain the importance of protecting their environment.

World Giraffe Day is an annual event led by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation with the goal of raising awareness about the animal's conservation status, which currently sits at "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List.

According to GCF's State of Giraffe 2025 report, three of four distinct giraffe species in Africa are seeing populations trend upwards. The organization credited growing global awareness, conservation actions and research efforts for the positive change.

The Nashville Zoo said the leopard forest has expanded its ability to participate in more conservation efforts for several species featured in the exhibit.

The zoo works with the organization Save Giraffes Now, which works in 10 African countries to conserve giraffe populations through ecosystem restoration, research, anti-poaching efforts and more. Find more information at nashvillezoo.org.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/giraffes-back-in-public-view-in-time-for-world-giraffe-day-at-nashville-zoo/