'Athletic and Curious' Young Giraffe Escapes from an Arizona Zoo to Get Her Own Snacks

A giraffe at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, decided to familiarize herself with the neighborhood. 

On Wednesday, March 5, Msituni, a three-year-old female reticulated giraffe, escaped from her enclosure at the Reid Park Zoo just before 9 a.m., when doors open for visitors. The incident led to the park delaying its opening by 90 minutes. 

According to a press release from the zoo obtained by PEOPLE, Msituni hopped over the fence of her enclosure, took a stroll, and nibbled on a nearby mesquite tree. "We went into our normal emergency procedures that we practice all the time," Nancy Kluge, president and CEO of Reid Park, told KGUN 9 News. 

The zoo's animal care and veterinary teams persuaded Msituni to return to her habitat with additional snacks and treats. "We were very lucky that she was calm; it was very easy," added Kluge. 

According to KGUN 9, this was the first time this type of incident had occurred at the Reid Park Zoo. However, Kluge assured reporters that her team was readily prepared. "We do a different drill pretty much every month," she shared. "We have our staff go through to plan and reenact [these scenarios], so it's second nature."

The zoo will make "short-term modifications" to its giraffe enclosure to keep Msituni, the other giraffes, and zoo patrons safe. The zoo's statement also noted that "longer-term permanent modifications will be made as well to accommodate Msituni's athletic and curious nature."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The zoo maintains that there was never a risk to the animals or humans in Msituni's vicinity during the giraffe's escape. Kluge explained to Arizona Central that giraffes "are not bound to go after a person or another animal, but just because of their size, we want to be careful," The zoo was closed when the incident occurred.   

The escape attempt could be seen as Msituni's introduction to her fellow zoo residents, as she is new to the Reid Park Zoo. The young giraffe was welcomed to the park on February 19 and joined giraffes Penny, Jasiri, and Moyo.

"We are very excited for Msituni to join us here at the zoo," Adam Ramsey, Director of Animal Care at Reid Park Zoo, said at the time of her arrival. "She is a very friendly giraffe and will make a great companion for our giraffes."