Celebrate Our Stars
Posted in: Conservation, Goings on, News
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Save the Date
Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Safari West.
Every Animal has a story. Every story deserves a future.
Some stories begin with a birth.
Others begin with an injury, an illness, or an unexpected challenge.
Some begin with a tiny giraffe taking her first steps. Others begin with a giraffe being fitted for a pair of custom-made shoes.
At Safari West, every animal entrusted to our care has a story—and every story matters.
Join us for Celebrate Our Stars, the Safari West Zoological Society’s first fundraising celebration, as we honor the remarkable animals who call Safari West home, the dedicated Animal Care Givers who care for them, and the extraordinary stories that connect us all.
Your support helps write the next chapter of these stories—providing exceptional veterinary care, lifesaving treatment, and compassionate care for every animal entrusted to us, from Safiri and Zeyna to the many remarkable animals whose stories are still waiting to be told.
Stories of Compassionate Care
Keepers Erika Defer, left, and Ellie Grossman feed a two week old baby giraffe they’ve hand raised when it was born with an infection at the Safari West animal preserve Monday, July 15, 2024 in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
A 2-week-old giraffe calf races around her enclosure after meeting her mother, Malakai, for the first time since she was separated at birth to be treated for infection at Safari West wildlife preserve Saturday, July 13, 2024 in Santa Rosa, CA. The calf was bottle fed 4 times a day by keepers who hope she will start to feed naturally from mom. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Maddie Hendrickson, center, and Steve Foxworth, with the Zoo Hoofstock Trim Program from Ohio, work as fast as they can with grinders to flatten and shaped 2-year-old Zeyna’s damaged hooves Friday, June 19, 2026 at the Safari West animal preserve in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Oakland Zoo vet tech Quincy Grey, starts an IV line while Dr. Brian Sandler, right, checks the vitals of the tranquilized Zeyna, a 2-year-old giraffe Friday, June 19, 2026 at the Safari West animal preserve in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Veterinarians and keepers from Safari West, Oakland and San Diego Zoos along with an exotic animal hoofcare crew from Ohio, use straps to position Zeyna, a 2-year-old giraffe, onto a padded mattress after she was tranquilized Friday, June 19, 2026 at the Safari West animal preserve in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
In the weeks ahead, we’ll introduce you to some of the incredible animals whose journeys have touched our hearts—from Safiri’s remarkable beginning to Zeyna’s custom-crafted giraffe shoe, and many more stories of resilience, hope, and compassionate care.
These are the stories you’ll help continue.
So, save the date for Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Ticket information and sponsorship opportunities will be announced soon.
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Trust us, you’ll want a seat at this table.
