Rough Tongues, Glendy Danissa Cortez Leiva—Giraffe

Two women peering at tableware in the Resetting The Table exhibit

My name is Glendy Cortez and I am 20 years old. The animal that I chose is the giraffe. I chose the giraffe because I remember going to the zoo with my mom and always feeding the giraffes. I remember raising my hand and them taking a big bite. I remember their tongue brushing against my hand. It felt rough, but I could feel how content was the giraffe eating. A fun fact about giraffes is that males establish social hierarchies through necking, which are fights in which the neck is used as a weapon.