The Region : Michael Jackson’s Zoo Loses Its Giraffe

A baby giraffe has been removed from the backyard of singer Michael Jackson’s home in Encino on orders of state game officials pending a hearing on the singer’s application to add the animal to his private zoo. The fate of the 6-month-old giraffe, which was brought to California from Missouri without a permit, will be determined at the June 27 hearing in Sacramento, said Lt. Donald Wilkins of the state Fish and Game Department. “Michael loves animals,” said Norman Winters, the singer’s publicist, “and he loves to play with them when he’s home.” Winters said the giraffe, if allowed, would join a chimpanzee, llamas, exotic deer, snakes and other animals already in the private zoo at Jackson’s estate. Under threat of seizure, the giraffe was moved to a state-licensed holding facility last week until the five-member Fish and Game Commission determines its fate, Wilkins said.