Vivian, a 13-month-old female giraffe, arrived Sunday morning from Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. Zoo officials have been keeping her quarantined in the giraffe barn to ensure she’s adjusting to her new surroundings. Vivian was hand-raised at the Riverbanks Zoo because her mom was a first time mother and was frightened by her.

Taji, the Peoria Zoo’s three year-old male giraffe, became excited when he first saw Vivian and the two have kept in visual contact. Vivian can either be viewed in the outdoor paddock adjacent to the giraffe barn or at the window to the giraffe barn on the raised walk around Africa!. Paper was placed on the window that looks into her stall to insure a quiet adjustment and now the staff is taking it down in small sections.

The Peoria Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; gates close at 4:30 p.m. Admission is: Adults 13 & over – $8.50; children 3-12 – $4.75; children 2 and under – free; and Senior Citizens – $7.50.