![Alf the Giraffe. [Image Credit: Brights Zoo]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/11/15/660x290/b_502x220x82/alf-the-giraffe-image-credit-brights-zoo_1690593.jpg "Alf the Giraffe. [Image Credit: Brights Zoo]")
October was a particularly distressing month for Brights Zoo. A tumultuous battle ensued on the zoo’s Facebook page, accusing the management of putting Alf the Giraffe in danger.
Armed with hateful comments, the cyber assailants pointed fingers at the zoo for clinching a deal with a facility in Texas. According to PETA, the facility has ties to exotic-animal hunting ranches. The animal activists accused the zoo of putting Alf in danger but provided no proof of the peril. All this negativity forced the facility to call off the deal, and Alf had no choice but to stay put in a zoo that has loving caretakers but which lacks the funds to support his needs.
Zoo director David Bright revealed how they are struggling to make a life for Alf.
The October drama
For the past few months, Brights Zoo has been doing updates on Alf and his progress. A few times a week, the zoo would post a photo or a video to show his personality and growth.
From the beginning, Brights Zoo made it clear that Alf would be going away. “You just can’t have two adult males in the same yard when there were also females. We had found what we believed to be a very good fit for Alf, as the zoo he would have gone to had a female the same age as Alf plus another female a few months older,” explained David Bright.
Although many Alf followers were happy about the change, some called PETA and got them involved.
“They chose to send us threats and very hateful messages. The reason is they believed Alf would be going to a hunting facility which is simply just not true,” said David Bright.
Despite the negativity, there are many who support Brights Zoo. “It only takes a few to make it hard for all though. There will always be those social media trolls and we will always do our best to ban them from our pages,” he said.
What next for Alf?
Brights Zoo is currently in the process of raising funds to support Alf.
“The cost is huge for us and, without the help of others, it would be very difficult to reach. Just the barn alone will be $50,000 to $70,000 and the fencing another $20,000. The cost of bringing in a female companion for Alf will be between $65,000 and $100,000,” he said.
On October 5, Brights Zoo created a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for Alf. As of November 15, nearly 829 people contributed and helped raise $33, 252. The goal, however, is to reach $150,000. Meanwhile, a few enthusiastic supporters of Brights Zoo are raising funds through a Facebook group initiative called, “ALF's House Building Fund Silent Auction.”
These funds will be used for building a barn and a giraffe yard for Alf. A portion of the money will also be spent on finding a suitable mate for the young giraffe.
