PETA Statement re Recovery of Two Missing Baby Giraffes From Natural Bridge Zoo

For Immediate Release:
June 16, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Following a reward offer of up to $50,000 from PETA and Alicia Silverstone for information leading to the safe recovery of two baby giraffes who vanished from the Natural Bridge Zoo more than a year ago, the giraffes have been found and are now receiving specialized care at a professional facility, according to Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones’ office.

Below, please find a statement from PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch:

“These baby giraffes were subjected to the trauma of separation from their distraught mothers shortly after birth, but at long last they’re finally safe and receiving the specialized care that they need, thanks to the tireless work of Attorney General Jay Jones’ Animal Law Unit.”

The giraffes’ disappearance helped inspire Virginia’s landmark captive-exotic wildlife protection law, the first of its kind in the nation. Championed by Senator Jennifer Boysko (SD-38) and Delegate Amy Laufer (HD-55), the legislation prohibits separating captive-born exotic mammals from their mothers before four months of age and bans hybridization. Governor Abigail Spanberger signed the bill into law, and it goes into effect on July 1.

PETA points out that giraffe calves typically nurse for up to a year and remain closely bonded with their mothers well beyond weaning and prematurely separating them causes profound psychological distress.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.