Custom jacket keeps giraffe cozy

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Like many a lady of a certain age, Tiki feels the cold these days.

So workers at the Oakland Zoo are having a custom-fit coat made to keep the giraffe cozy this winter.

At age 18, venerable for giraffes, Tiki is subject to the vicissitudes of age, and coping with the effect of Bay Area winter chills on the African mammal had baffled keepers.

At 13 feet tall, Tiki is too big to be herded into a stall, and regular horse blankets are too ill-fitting. So zoo staff got in touch with a horse-blanket designer who agreed to donate her services to tailor a coat for Tiki.