A giraffe named Astana is celebrating its 16th birthday at Shymkent Zoo. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Zoo staff announced the milestone on their Instagram page. The giraffe was born on July 6, 2010 – on Capital City Day – and was therefore named Astana in honor of the country's capital.
"Today, our zoo's special beauty – the giraffe Astana – is celebrating her birthday. Born in 2010, our giraffe is now celebrating her 16th birthday!" the zoo reported.
According to staff, the animal's name was not chosen by chance.
"This is not just a name. The giraffe received it in honor of the capital of our country – the city of Astana, because she was born on the same day as the Capital City Day holiday, and this name was given to her as a sign of respect. Astana is a special giraffe who has won the hearts of visitors with her tall stature, graceful gait, and calm character," the staff emphasized.
The zoo notes that Astana does not cause much trouble for the staff. Every day, the giraffe eats up to 30 kilograms of foliage, sleeps only a few hours, and, as noted by the zoo, is unpretentious in care, living in complete harmony with nature.
In honor of the giraffe's birthday, visitors and subscribers of the zoo joined in the congratulations, wishing the birthday girl health and long life.
Earlier, the Bureau of National Statistics published interesting facts about the country's main city. It turns out that 26 people in Kazakhstan bear the name Astana.