Mom calls zoo worker a ‘Karen’ during giraffe-feeding

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A woman took to social media to complain about the attentiveness of a giraffe trainer at a Utah zoo.

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Jana posts her adventures on TikTok under the handle @tryintothriveover55, but it was her recent trip to Hogle Zoo that went viral.

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A 57-year-old woman revealed how she spent $10 on six pieces of salad to feed giraffes in a video that has received more than 890,000 views.

Holding the baby in her arms, Yana is trying to feed the giraffe when a zookeeper enters, places a protective hand between the animal and the couple and orders her to change position, warning that the hungry animal might bite.

“In her natural habitat, Karen carefully guards the lettuce, ensuring that no fun is left unattended. A rare occurrence indeed,” Jana originally captioned the post.

“I know she meant well, but damn, could you give us some space to feed the giraffes?” she continued to her viewers. “Am I overreacting, or is that zoo volunteer annoying you too?”

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Her question prompted dozens of people to speak out, with many defending the zoo employee as someone simply doing her job.

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“As someone who literally fed giraffes this morning, this is her job,” one person commented. “She knows these animals and what they're capable of and just makes sure no one gets hurt and they're fed properly.”

She added: “Not Karen at all.”

Another noted: “She was so sweet! She's trying to help you and your kids feed the giraffe properly and she was very sweet about it. Why do you call her Karen?”

A third person agreed: “That's not Karen, that's an employee doing what she's trained to do – her job – but being kind. The last thing they want is for parents to worry about a giraffe biting their child.”

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A fourth commenter noted: “I'm afraid this video didn't go in the direction you were going in.”

Jana later changed the caption to: “When your giraffe snack costs more than your lunch.”

She also added her own message at the top of the comments section, which read: “Yes, I understand. I completely understand that point of view,” referring to the giraffe trainer keeping zoo visitors safe.

However, Jana cheekily added: “She was really just being very careful.”

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