Up close and Personal: Children get to feed giraffes

Children now have the chance to get an close-up look at the Gladys Porter Zoo’s giraffe family.

The Giraffe Landing Feeding Experience opened last week, allowing visitors to feed the long-necked animals brush and leaves through a metal fence.

"I did not get to do that when I was younger," said Cristal Garza, 24, who brought her 1-year-old daughter to the zoo for the first time Saturday. "It was a good experience."

And it is cheap fun, too, Garza said. It costs $3 to enter the feeding exhibit. A small, ADA-accessible, ramp leads into the area where the giraffes are housed. Visitors hold onto the shrubs while the animals pull the leaves off using their 18-inch black tongues.

The giraffes are close enough to pet.

"You can interact with them said," said 12-year-old Hannah Rodriguez, who fed the animals on a family trip to the zoo. Her 3-year-old brother, Miguel Rodriguez, piped in, "It is fun."

After working a long day at the zoo Saturday, docent Sylvia D. Garza was not tired despite watching over the line of dozens of children waiting to feed the giraffes.

"We are excited," Garza said. "It was a really cool vibe out there, the interaction between the children and the giraffes. It was amazing watching the kids that were in line, these little children with eyes of wonder."

All proceeds will go to the care and maintenance of the giraffe exhibit. Feeding times are 11:30-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m.