See One of the Oldest Giraffes in the Country at the Denver Zoo

The Denver Zoo is home to animals from all over the world ⁠— including one of the nation's oldest giraffes.

According to a Facebook post, the Zoo's matriarchal giraffe, Kipele, is now the fourth oldest giraffe in the country's AZA-accredited zoos, having just had her 29th birthday.

Kipele is a mother to Dobby, one of the Zoo's most famous animals whose premature birth captivated Colorado, and a friend to BB, a new arrival from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

The Zoo celebrated Kipele's milestone with a giant bowl of lettuce and carrots. At 29 years old, the "sweet, protective" giraffe has already exceeded her life expectancy by four years.

READ: Meet the Newest Member of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Family

Kipele is a reticulated giraffe, which is a critically endangered species. In the wild, the animals snack on acacia trees and live in large herds.

Unfortunately, one of the members of Kipele's herd, a 19-year-old giraffe named Heshimu, passed away in March after a sudden illness.

RELATED: Denver Zoo Mourns the Recent Loss of 19-Year-Old Giraffe

Kipele isn't the only animal to live beyond her life expectancy at the Denver Zoo.

The Zoo's 27-year-old black howler monkey, Rose, who died earlier this month, lived over seven years past the life span of her species. Kim, a 33-year-old harbor seal, exceeded her life expectancy by over 10 years before her death in 2021.

You can get up close and personal with Kipele and her herd by booking a giraffe encounter and feeding at the Denver Zoo here.