Advocates are howling that Benito needs “sanctuary.” The advocates are animal rights type and they demand the giraffe be moved from his current habitat in Chihuahua to a better one in Texas. Mexican officials are fighting to keep their local mascot, while residents realize they need to make the decision which is best for the special needs mammal.
Sanctuary for Benito
Officials in Chihuahua, Mexico, are fighting tooth and nail for custody of Benito the giraffe. In Texas they have the perfect place for him. On Sunday, June 25, “animal rights activists from all over Mexico” are gathering for a “march to demand that the city’s tallest resident be moved to a more suitable environment.”
It starts at 10 a.m. sharp from the Plaza Juarez Mall and concludes at the park half a mile south.
Citizens and international organizations are equally concerned about the “tiny habitat” Benito is stuck in. “The mostly concrete-lined park is inadequate and exposes him to excessive heat,” they complain.
Animal rights activists from all over Mexico are planning a Sunday march to demand that the city’s tallest resident be moved to a more suitable environment. https://t.co/9zB9iuYHZn
— WOOD TV8 (@WOODTV) June 24, 2023
They also point out that the temperature in the region is “expected to soar to between 108 to 110 degrees between Sunday and Tuesday.” Actually, that’s not as big a deal as they fear. Giraffes come from equatorial Africa and love the heat. There are other serious and valid issues though.
The big benefit for allowing Benito to claim asylum in Texas is that he has a sponsor.
According to the activists, “a Texas rancher has offered his spread so the giraffe can roam more freely in a specialized animal sanctuary he has built on 320 acres.” He’ll even have friends of his own species to socialize with.
A forever home
Blue Hills Ranch owner Matt Lieberman, of McGregor, Texas wrote a letter to Mexican authorities. “We are a sanctuary, and we give animals a forever home,” he insists. Benito would love the place. “Giraffes hold a special place in our hearts, and we focus on their safety and survival.”
Right now, Lieberman and his associates “have two giraffes with two or three more on the way.” He knows how to keep them comfortable.
“We make sure their habitat mimics the wild (and) we are building a 10,000 square-foot barn to house all the giraffes on cold days.” He agrees that heat isn’t the problem for Benito.
@MaruCampos_G @CruzPerzCuellar: AYUDEMOS A BENITO LA JIRAFA// SPEAK UP FOR BENITO THE LONELY GIRAFFE – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/Wr3bwRvqdE via @Change
— Holls (@d3mama131620) June 25, 2023
The real issue is the way they have him cooped up in a tiny enclosure. He may be living in the state of Chihuahua but he’s not a tiny little dog. Currently, “the giraffe is alone and struggling at small Mexican zoo.”
El Paso-born activist Laura Sanchez-Jacome isn’t as concerned about the enclosure as the “shortcomings in the care Benito receives.” She’s personally seen “the lack of resources and personnel to care for Benito and for all the exotic animals that have been brought to this park over the years.” Local residents want to see what’s best for the animal.
“We have to take care of him so he doesn’t die,” Lucia, a Juarez middle school student notes. “We don’t want to be fond of him and then he dies.” Sadly, Modesto, the park’s previous giraffe, “died in May reportedly after experiencing cardiac failure.“
