I've only recently come across Sofia and her fantastic OSINT challenges courtesy of her recent guest challenge creation for Bellingcat. You can find the link to her challenges here and the link to #031 here.

This OSINT exercise was listed as "easy" for beginners. I admit I didn't find it easy (and a comparison to Sofia's excellent walkthrough reveals why, but more on that later).

The important thing is that I managed to finish it anyway, even if somewhat unconventionally.

As always, I have spoiler guards on critical details. Click the spoiler button in the bottom left to turn on/off all spoiler protection. If you leave it on, individual spoiler guards will disappear when clicked → (just like that).

What follows is a breakdown of my path to the answer to this exercise. But, before we begin, let’s triage the exercise itself.

OSINT Exercise: #031 - Mysterious Newborn Giraffe

Based on the exercise brief, we don't have a lot to go on:

• Who: Mysterious Newborn Giraffe
• Where: Somewhere in captivity

Anyway, that's the fun of it. Let's begin!

Investigation Summary

Throughout this exercise, I kept records in an investigation plan. You can view mine here and access the template for your own use here (click File > Make a Copy or File > Download).

To get the most out of this walkthrough, I recommend following each step using the tools and sources provided below.

Investigation Stages

• Cheap & lazy searches
• Find the giraffe's name
• Search for our giraffe and any records of a transfer
• Search social media for giraffes at current facility and verify animal

Tools Used

• Google Reverse Image Search (Google Lens)
• Google Search
• X/Twitter Advanced Search
• Flickr Search

Sources Used

• zooborns.com
• X/Twitter
• virginiazoo.org
• allears.net
• zoochat.com
• Instagram
• researchgate.net
• aza.org
• Flickr

My Path & Thought Process

The record I kept during this investigation shows 17 distinct steps, and whilst many helped build the context I needed to eventually get answers, many didn't. I have collapsed many together for brevity. For transparency, you can see the full, messier process in my investigation plan linked above.

That being said, I'll still walkthrough what I thought and what I did, even when it led me to a dead-end. You can decide for yourself where I took wrong turns and how you might have avoided them (I know that's what I'm trying to do when preparing these write ups).

Stage 1: Cheap & lazy searches

I try and start with really simple searches matching images or text. Since we don't have lots to go on here. All we can really do is start with a reverse image search anyway.

1. Reverse Google image search

Why: A lazy attempt to find the giraffe's photo but also the only major lead we have. Finger's crossed it actually works.

Tools: Google Images/Lens

Result: A hit! - the photo matched to this site (and all the other #031 walkthroughs, shoutout!).

Stage 2: Find the giraffe's name

2. Investigate site for details on our mysterious newborn giraffe

Why: Perhaps some of the information we seek about our giraffe is detailed in this article.

Sources: zooborns.com

Result: Article dated October 27, 2009. Lists the giraffe's date of birth as October 23rd, 2009 but then again as October 21st, 2009, so this is not conclusive. According to the article, the location of the picture is Virginia Zoo and the giraffe's parents are named Billy and Imara. The giraffe is female, but no indications of its name, current residence, or date of arrival there.

3. Confirm the birth of this giraffe at the listed zoo

Why: I haven't heard of zooborns.com and have no indication of the validity or reliability of its information. So, we should confirm that this giraffe is indeed the one born at Virginia Zoo.

Tools: X/Twitter Advanced Search, Flickr Search

Sources: X/Twitter, Flickr

Result: Virginia Zoo made two relevant tweets in November 2009. One tweet from Nov 19, 2009 mentions "a female Masai giraffe born on October 21". A tweet from Nov 14, 2009 mentions Flickr pictures of the baby giraffe. Searching with Flickr for photos of "giraffe" from the Virginia Zoo account from October 2009 doesn't reveal any names for the mysterious newborn giraffe but does confirm its date of birth as Oct 21, 2009 and that our challenge photo was originally posted by Virginia Zoo (on Nov 12, 2009). Extending the search dates to include up to Jan 1, 2012 reveals a photo from February 2010 that identifies both of the parents and mentions Willow who was born in October. This reveals the name of the giraffe is likely Willow.

Stage 3: Search for our giraffe and any records of a transfer

4. Check zoo website and X/twitter for information about our giraffe's location

Why: While we know Willow was born at Virginia Zoo, we should be able to find information regarding her current location either as an exhibit or details of a transfer via Twitter or the zoo's website, since this would have been a big event.

Tools: X/Twitter Advanced Search

Search Prompt: Masai giraffe (from:VirginiaZoo)

Sources: X/Twitter, virginiazoo.org

Result: No further information - The oldest post on Virginia Zoo's blog mentioning "giraffe" is June 22, 2015 and no helpful information was found on the Masai giraffe exhibit page. On X/Twitter there was mention of a new baby giraffe named Kellen in 2013, but no mention of Willow beyond the two tweets announcing her birth in 2009.

5. Look into regional conservation efforts for our endangered giraffe species' for any transfer/exhibition records

Why: If the zoo did not make a statement regarding Willow's transfer, maybe there is a centralised database of Masai giraffes in North America that can be queried.

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: masai giraffe conservation in america

Sources: zoochat.com

Results: Found a thread on zoochat.com which lists the different Masai giraffes at different zoos across North America as of 2021. A ctrl+F search for 'Willow' revealed an animal at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Willow (Billy x Imara) born October 21st 2009 at Virginia Zoo, thus confirming that Willow was transferred to a different zoo.

6. Search for our giraffe and the zoo to which she was transferred

Why: Since Willow transferred to Disney's Animal Kingdom after she left Virginia Zoo, they might have been press in anticipation of or upon her arrival.

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: "Disney's Animal Kingdom" AND "Willow"

Sources: allears.net

Results: Article from a site of unknown reputability that described Willow's transfer from Virginia Zoo to Disney's Animal Kingdom. Willow is mentioned as being nearly 1-year-old at the time of transfer meaning this had to take place prior to 21 October 2010.

Note: Somehow I managed to completely miss the date of transfer that is clearly mentioned in the article. More about that in my post-challenge reflections. In addition, I could have verified that the giraffe in the picture was Willow by matching her skin pattern. However, that wouldn't have necessarily meant that the details in the text were correct.

7. Search for communications from our giraffe's zoo celebrating her arrival thus revealing her transfer date

Tools: Google Search, X/Twitter Advanced Search

Search Prompts: "willow" site:.disney.go.com -grandmother -kangaroo "giraffe" AND "disney's animal kingdom" before:2011-01-01 after:2010-10-21 giraffe (from:DisneyParks) Willow (from:DisneyParks)

Results: No further information

A pause to collect my thoughts...

When I got here, I was a bit stumped. I had Willow's birth location and date. I knew she was at Disney's Animal Kingdom as recently as 2021 (if the article was to be believed), but the trail had gone cold. It's possible that she's moved again since 2021, but there were not even any mentions of her from Disney's Animal Kingdom around her transfer date.

I would have been best served carefully reviewing the information and sources I had collected thus far (revealing that I already had the transfer date). However, instead I decided to go back to the conservation program angle. In the article I found that mentioned Willow's transfer, there was a mention of genetic experts who decide which animal goes where to ensure healthy, diverse breeding populations. Maybe there is a record from that expert organisation (and hopefully its open to the public)!

8. Search for our giraffe's baby who was mentioned in a previous article

Why: The thread on zoochats made note of a giraffe born to Willow in 2020 named Zella. Perhaps we could get more information on Willow via communications about Zella.

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: zella giraffe

Sources: zoochat.com, allears.net

Result: An article from allears.net mentioned Zella and featured photos from Dr Mark Penning, a vetenarian at Disney's Animal Kingdom who uses Instagram under @drmarkatdisney. I also stumbled upon a link to a facebook page called Disney's Animals, Science and Environment (https://www.facebook.com/DisneyASE) which made conservation related-posts. However, there were no posts before 2014 on DisneyASE facebook page.

9. Search Instagram for Willow

Why: Admittedly, I was getting desperate. I just wanted more details of any kind about Willow.

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: willow giraffe disney site:instagram.com; willow giraffe disney site:instagram.com before:2012-01-01

Sources: Instagram

Results: I found an Instagram post claiming to be of Willow and her baby in October 2020 on Dr Mark's Instagram page. A comment on his photo declared that Disney's Animal Kingdom is part of AZA (a quick google revealed the Association of Zoos & Aquariums) which might have a conservation dimension? I saw AZA mentioned in the article in step 6, but I didn't look into it.

Note: I decided to use Google to search Instagram because I wanted to perform a more advanced search than what Instagram usually allows. It might be possible to do similar searches through Instagram organically, but I found Instgram couldn't match multiple hashtags in a single search whereas Google could.

10. Search for AZA and their conservation programs

Why: There might be some connection between the AZA and Disney's Animal Kingdom's conservation program. I thought this might reveal something information about Willow and her history.

Sources: aza.org

Results: No further information - I found a database but it was restricted to AZA members.

Note: In my haste, I didn't properly read what the different conservation records they had were. I did later.

11. Simply search for transfer records for zoo animals to get more general information

Why: I thought that the AZA was a dead-end, so I stopped thinking I had any leads and just started from the beginning. Who keeps the transfer records for zoo animals in the USA? I assumed it had to be somebody!

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: zoo animal transfer database usa

Sources: aza.org

Results: The first hit on google was again the AZA. So, I decided to have a closer look. What I found on their website was that part of their conservation records for endangered species was something called a 'studbook' which detailed the bloodlines, pedigrees, and transfers of all animals that were in the conservation program.

12. Search for the birth and transfer records for our giraffe species

Why: I knew I couldn't access the AZA studbook data from the AZA portal. But, I figured why not try to google it anyway. What's the worst that could happen?

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: masai giraffe studbook

Sources: researchgate.net

Results: I found the 2011 studbook for Masai giraffes in America which listed a female giraffe named Willow born 21 Oct 2009 at Norfolk (the Virginia Zoo is in Norfolk) and transfered to Disney's Animal Kingdom on 11 October 2010. It doesn't list the date as a departure or arrival but given that it is the day before the one listed in the article (that I missed), I think it's close enough.

Another brief interlude as we near the end...

We know that Zella, Willow's calf was born in 2020 at Disney's Animal Kingdom and I'm kinda banking on the hope that she hasn't moved since then (when she was photographed by Dr Mark with her baby). In support of my hunch, it appears from the AZA records that they generally try move giraffes early in their lives and then leave them at a single location.

Stage 4: Search social media for giraffes at current facility and verify animal

13. Find giraffe photos from the zoo and cross-reference with existing photos of our giraffe

Why: Although I had found the photo of Willow and Zella from 2020 through Dr Mark's Instagram page, I didn't think that was sufficiently "in her habitat" or "current" enough for the exercise to be considered complete.

Tools: Google Search

Search Prompt: giraffe site:instagram.com Disney's Animal Kingdom

Sources: Instagram

Results: I decided to trawl through Instagram and see if I could find a post with a giraffe from Disney's Animal Kingdom that might be Willow (based on her spots). I found a post from 2023 showing Willow. In the images below from left to right, you can see the continuity of skin patterns between Willow as a baby (source: Virginia Zoo flickr), Willow as a new mother (source: Dr Mark's Instagram), and Willow photographed in her current habitat (source: Kingdom Conquerors Instagram). I think Willow's face marking in the shape of Africa on her left cheek is particularly distinctive (and very cool)!

Conclusion

Our mysterious newborn giraffe, Willow, was born on 21 October 2009 at Virginia Zoo to Imara and Billy, and had been living at Disney's Animal Kingdom since 11 October 2010. She is pictured in her current habitat here on 23 August 2023.

Reflections

This challenge was a lot harder than it needed to be. I made plenty of silly mistakes which were embarrassing at first, but I think prove excellent opportunities for learning and growth. Completing this exercise, writing this walkthrough, and reviewing Sofia's exemplar taught me four blind-spots I hadn't previously noticed.

Lesson 1. Don't be afraid to ask simple questions

For me, the real break in this challenge came when I googled: zoo animal transfer database usa.

I recognise that not doing that earlier was to throw away a cheap & lazy search which would have benefited the investigation greatly. You don't get points for style, you get points for robustness and results. There was nothing wrong with that search and it led me to a clue: the existence of the AZA and studbooks, which really helped me crack the final pieces of the puzzle.

The reality is that I believed it couldn't be that easy. A claim that was not founded on any actual evidence. A simple cheap & lazy search would have been enough to refute such a claim. I think next time, I will commit to doing 5-10 cheap & lazy searches before I do anything too fancy, not because I'll get the answer necessarily, but because they will ensure that I've tried to exhaust the available answers from the bottom up.

Lesson 2. Reading information properly and take notes

This probably goes without saying, but it was the major bane of this challenge for me. It's so easy to get excited or desperate during a challenge like this. The emotional highs and lows that come with making progress on a puzzle. However, the sage advice to make haste slowly is vital. If I had taken the time to be careful and read information fully, I could have halved the duration of this challenge.

I loved being swept away to find the next clue, but that meant I often missed what was in front of me all along. I also believe that periodic reviews of collected evidence may help reveal information missed on a first pass.

Lesson 3. Unlisted links might redirect to home pages and be archived on Wayback Machine

This wasn't a lesson I learned directly, but instead after watching Sofia's walkthrough.

A few times in my investigation and in Sofia's walkthrough, a link to what was expected to be a specific webpage such as an article, re-routed to the homepage of the website instead. This pattern can suggest that the page is no longer listed. Pages turnover reasonably quickly and older information may be archived or taken down. For this challenge, it was unlikely that an article detailing the birth of a giraffe that moved facilities within a year, over 15 years ago would be interesting enough to keep up. These pages might however be archived on the Wayback Machine.

Lesson 4. Try not to meta-game OSINT challenges and exercises

When comparing my path to Sofia's walkthrough, I remembered something quite amusing.

After realising the existence of AZA studbooks and finding two via Google (from 2009 and 2011), I thought to myself that I was on the right path. Without the 2011 studbook being publically available, I reasoned, the challenge would have been impossible to complete.

Therefore, I must be on the right path since Sofia made this exercise and it has to be possible. But, upon watching her walkthrough, Sofia's path didn't go anywhere near the AZA or studbooks. The danger of meta-gaming OSINT challenges is that real investigations are not pre-fabricated. Of course luck and serendipity exist, but reading into them too much can be a hinderance too.

Just another reminder to stay vigilant to get the most from these challenge and to build good habits.

Fin

Thank you for reading. I hope this walkthrough helped get you unstuck or gave you some ideas as to you how you might try to tackle your next challenge or investigation.

I always really appreciate feedback or comments from anyone reading. You can find me on X/Twitter, Bluesky, and LinkedIn at the handle @rgmarchant. I'd love to hear from you, especially if you found the answer a completely different way to me. Please let me know!