Kimba is one of two young male giraffes set to leave Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence for the Cincinnati Zoo at the end of this month. Kimba was born July 24 of last year.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

PROVIDENCE Mtembei and Kimba are sticking their necks out, and the rest of their bodies, too. They’re leaving.

The two juvenile giraffes at Roger Williams Park Zoo are moving to Ohio at the end of the month. A precise date hasn’t been set. But the public has been put on notice.

“We don’t want people coming in June and wondering where the giraffes have gone,” said Tim French, the zoo’s director of animal care.

The giraffes are going to the Cincinnati Zoo. But their parents are staying behind. Sukari is the mother of Mtembei, who celebrates his first birthday today, and Amber is the mother of Kimba, born July 24, 2007. Griffin is the father of both young males.

“As they mature, males typically don’t get along in a small area. They would disperse in the wild. This move also allows us to continue to breed with the group that we have.”

Growth of that group may already be underway.

“We are fairly confident that both females may be pregnant again.”

Zoo officials witnessed the giraffes breeding months ago, but not since.

“Griffin has shown no interest in them the last few months. They are no longer cycling, and that may be because they’re pregnant.”

If so, according to French, a 15-month gestation for giraffes would mean births in December. Kimba was born at night. But Mtembei was born on an afternoon in plain sight of hundreds of zoo visitors.

“Anytime people have the opportunity to experience something like that, they form more of an attachment.”

The zoo doesn’t have infinite space for giraffes. And now, according to French, is the best time for Mtembei and Kimba to go. They are both weaned from their mothers and roaming independently. And at about 10 feet tall, they’re both still easily transportable.

“You like to move the animals before they get too big. Size is an issue.”

An adult male giraffe can grow to 18 feet and 2,000 pounds. Their height is more of an issue than their weight.

“You could pick a route that doesn’t have overpasses and overhanging wires. But if they’re traveling a long distance, they need to be in an enclosed trailer, and an adult would have to be crouched down much of the time.”

That’s not good. It would be very physically stressful on such a tall animal, which has an 8-foot neck. Juvenile giraffes don’t have that issue.

Mtembei and Kimba will be transported by a company that specializes in moving exotic animals, using a modified stock trailer with a telescopic roof that can rise to 20 feet.

“This is so the animal doesn’t feel afraid going into a tight space.”

Once the 10-foot giraffes are loaded into the truck and are adjusted to their temporary environment, the truck’s roof will be lowered for highway driving. When Mtembei and Kimba get to Cincinnati, they’ll join two giraffes being shipped from Texas to create a new giraffe exhibit for the Cincinnati Zoo.

The last notable animal departures from Roger Williams Park Zoo were the polar bears, the last of which left in 2004 for Detroit. The zoo is in the process of creating a new exhibit space for polar bears. So far, according to French, preliminary work on the project — some demolition and utility work — has been done, with the new polar bear exhibit expected to open in late 2010.

But new animals, and insects, are coming to the zoo.

Memorial Day through Labor Day the zoo will have a new butterfly exhibit. In June, the zoo will also add to its permanent collection: wrinkled hornbill birds from Southeast Asia, a male and female coming from the San Diego Zoo and Tulsa Zoo, respec-

tively; and a couple of Patagonian cavy, which are large, 15-pound, rodents from South America, which will be coming from the Cameron Zoo in Waco, Texas.

The earliest of the new arrivals, however, will be a red panda from the Columbus Zoo, which is expected on Memorial Day. The animal, about 42 inches long and 7 to 14 pounds, has a bushy tale and resembles a raccoon. But it eats bamboo.

“While a giraffe is impressive by virtue of its size and its body, which some say is an animal built by committee, red pandas are the kind of animal that make people say ‘oooh.’ They are cute.”

Roger Williams Park Zoo is located at 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. It’s open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12, $8 for seniors, $6 for children 3-12, and free for those younger. For more information, visit www.rogerwilliams

parkzoo.org or call (401) 785-3510.

brourke@projo.com