Cleveland Zoological Society Celebrates Completion of The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter
Posted: June 25, 2015
CLEVELAND – June 19, 2015 – The Cleveland Zoological Society is celebrating the completion of The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter, a newly constructed wooden observation deck overlooking the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s collection of Masai giraffe. The deck was constructed to provide Zoo visitors with the opportunity to get closer to the world’s tallest animal and to have the chance to hand-feed giraffe while learning about the plight of these magnificent creatures in the wild.
The giraffe have had the opportunity to see the deck as it was under construction, but since it has changed the boundaries and slope of their enclosure, they will be shy about approaching the deck at first. The Zoo’s animal keepers will work with the giraffe to acclimate them to the new structure and will start doing feedings to help the familiarization process along. Once the giraffe are comfortable with the deck, public feedings will begin.
The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter was made possible thanks, in part, to a generous gift from Larry Gogolick, a Cleveland native and the owner of N. Gogolick & Sons, a diamond wholesale company. Gogolick’s gift is a tribute to his late father and was designed to provide a unique and memorable experience for the thousands of families who visit the Zoo each day.
Gogolick stated, “I’m hoping that The Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter will help connect children and individuals in the greater Cleveland area and beyond to our Zoo and to the importance of conservation of wildlife and exotic animals for the long-term.”
The Zoological Society is grateful for the generosity of Larry Gogolick and for his commitment to animals in the Zoo and in the wild.
The Cleveland Zoological Society is the nonprofit advocate and partner of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The Zoological Society and Zoo share the joint mission of creating compelling experiences that connect people with wildlife and inspiring personal responsibility for conserving the natural world.
Media contact:
Connie Skingel
Manager of Annual Giving and External Relations
(216) 635.3368
skingel@clevelandzoosociety.org
