'Bon Voyage' Party Held For Bobo, A Beloved Long Island Giraffe

MANORVILLE, NY — A "Bon Voyage" party was held Saturday for a popular member of the Long Island Game Farm family.

But no worries — Bobo the Giraffe will be back soon, and hopefully, will be able to live year-round at the farm.

The fundraising event at the Long Island Game Farm was presented by the Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc., the game farm's new non-profit arm.

Funds from the event will support the construction of a heated and air-conditioned
giraffe house large enough to accommodate two giraffes, and offer year-round public programming to raise awareness of the endangered species.

"It has long been a dream of ours to host giraffes year-round at the Long Island Game Farm," LIGF President Melinda Novak said. "To further our goal of connecting people to wildlife, a year round giraffe house will allow us space to keep two giraffes comfortably and present programming that will educate the public on these gentle giants, which are also an endangered species. Bobo the Giraffe is one of our most popular residents in the summer months, and we hope his loyal fans will join us in sending him off for the season to warmer climates in South Carolina. Perhaps next year, he will be a permanent resident of the game farm."

The fundraising event featured beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, music by the East End Trio, animal encounters with Bobo the Giraffe, Speedy the Tortoise, Snappy the Alligator, and Irwin & Susie the Wallabies, and an auction of art created especially by game farm animals.

Formed in 2023, the Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc.'s mission is to connect people with wildlife and the natural environment, and to support the work of the Long Island Game Farm Wildlife Park and Children’s Zoo.

The Long Island Game Farm is also a supporter of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s efforts to secure a future for all giraffe populations in the wild; the game farm also donated a portion of ticket sales that week to the nonprofit organization, organizers of the event said.