Savanna the Giraffe, left, hugs the San Antonio Zoo’s other mascot, Cowboy the Rhino, right. Credit: Courtesy of San Antonio Zoo
The San Antonio Zoo over the weekend introduced the world to its newest mascot, a giraffe named Savanna.
Savanna made her debut during a Saturday event that also featured other Alamo City mascots, including H-E-Buddy, Whataburger’s Whataguy and UTSA’s Rowdy the Roadrunner.
Savanna is the San Antonio Zoo’s second mascot, with the other being Cowboy the Rhino. However, officials said Savannah is more than just a figurehead for the nationally recognized zoological park. They hope she will bring public awareness to the plight of giraffes in the wild.
“Giraffe populations are in crisis worldwide, with habitats shrinking by nearly 90% over the past 300 years and local extinctions already occurring in several African countries,” San Antonio Zoo officials said in a statement.
The San Antonio Zoo has prioritized giraffe conservation in recent years, with a portion of proceeds from the zoo’s giraffe feeding times, overnight stays at its Spekboom Lodge and tickets for its Conserfari tours going to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the only global organization dedicated exclusively to protecting wild giraffes.
“Through Savanna, the zoo hopes to spark conversations, inspire action, and remind the community that everyone has a role to play in securing a future for wildlife,” officials added.
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This article appears in Sep 3-17, 2025.