Where Did The Giraffe And Other Animals Go From Outside The Brookshire’s Wildlife Museum?

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Tyler, Texas drivers have been under the watchful eye of some very stoic animals for years. These animals have been quietly standing and watching as thousands of cars and trucks pass by them daily. I'm referring to the giraffe, the momma elephant and her baby, and the momma hippo and her baby.

These statues have been standing outside the Brookshire's Wildlife Museum on Old Jacksonville Hwy. in Tyler for years.  Even after the wildlife museum was closed to the public in 2017 they stood watch over the property and their stretch of Old Jacksonville Highway. For many drivers, they're just a thing they pass by every day, or do they?

Have Tyler drivers noticed the animals were recently removed?

I drive by them at least twice a day on my way to the radio station. That was until last Wednesday. Wednesday evening I happened to notice the hippo and elephant had been loaded on a trailer and parked under the old Brookshire's warehouse entrance. Then Thursday morning I went to snap a picture of the giraffe around 10 a.m. and he was gone. All that remained were the plants that were around them. Even the Brookshire's Wildlife Museum sign was gone.

I saw the giraffe had been removed and loaded onto a trailer, but I had no idea where he was headed and where his long-time companions were. So I called Brookshire's corporate office to do a little investigating.

The receptionist confirmed they were being removed, which I saw for myself, and they were being moved to a new location. When I inquired about the location, she was tight-lipped and said the company would be releasing a statement to the media in the future.

So, like you, I'll be waiting to see where these statues end up and if the other animals from the wildlife museum will be joining them in a new location.

What happened to the Brookshire's Wildlife Museum?

The museum was closed in 2017 after there was an ammonia leak at the adjacent Brookshire's facility. The museum dates back to the mid-1970s and had more than 450 animals from around the world on display. It included mammals, reptiles, fowl, and water species from Africa and North America. The museum was free for the public to enjoy and educate themselves.

Here's what the inside of the museum looked like when KETK's Bryan Joyce did a story on the museum itself.

Let's hope this museum is being transported and set up at a new location so that new families can enjoy what I got to enjoy with my daughter when she was young. When Brookshire's releases the press release and more information on this we'll have it for you.