SELINSGROVE — Almost 30 years ago, Kay Hooper’s then fiancée, now husband, decided to surprise her with a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. When Hooper laid eyes on the giraffes, it was love at first sight.
“That was the place where I first saw giraffes up close and personal,” Hooper said. “I was really intrigued with their faces. The rest of the body shape I had seen in pictures. I thought to myself, ‘those are pretty interesting animals.’”
Following the trip to the zoo, Hooper, a piano teacher who lives in Selinsgrove, did some research on the giant animals. Her husband, Fred, took notice of his wife’s new-found passion for giraffes and started buying her small replicas of the animals to fill her music studio.
Hooper’s students began to notice the giraffes invading the studio and started to buy her all kinds of giraffe trinkets.
“It’s better,” Hooper said, “because I don’t want clef notes and eighth notes filling up the studio. It’s a lot more interesting and fun with giraffes.”
Then Fred did something only a devoted husband would — he arranged a trip for them to the Animal Kingdom in Disney World and even found them a room right outside the giraffe feeding area.
The timing was perfect. It just so happened a new giraffe was joining the Kingdom. To help animals acclimate to the new surroundings, officials keep them in isolation for a short time before introducing them into the park. As a special treat for his wife, Fred arranged for them to have a private visit with the animal.
Taking the backstage tour of Animal Kingdom was a great experience, Kay said, especially because of the giraffe in isolation waiting to be integrated into the herd which allowed them a close-up look.
Not only does she admire the animals, she relates to them. As a teacher for aspiring musicians, she points to qualities she shares with the gentle giants.
“Their eyes are large for a very good reason. They need to be able to see the whole savannah in order to keep themselves and their calves safe from predators. In other words, they like to look at the big picture, as do I,” she said.
“As a teacher, I’m part of the collective influence over children,” she added, explaining that giraffes also have “a collective style of protecting their young, with groups of adults taking turns watching the nursery.”
As her interest in giraffes continues to grow, so does her collection. The small studio is filled with pictures, stuffed animals, Beanie Babies and posters. As a special touch, the student piano has a giraffe-colored chair sitting in front of it.
“I’m terrified at how far it might go,” Hooper joked, looking around the room. But “it’s something my students feel a part of, and it’s a lot of fun to pick something up and think about the student that gave it to me.”
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Collectibles: Lots of long necks
Trip to zoo sparks 30-year giraffe obsession
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