A 2-year-old Masai giraffe has been moved from Boston's zoo to a Pittsburgh zoo in an effort to populate the rare subspecies, officials said.

The 12-foot-tall female, born during the 2007 World Series and named Sox after the Boston baseball team, will be paired with another animal, the Boston Globe reported.

She leaves behind in Boston her parents and a younger brother, born in July. An older sister went to a South Carolina zoo in 2007 as part of the species-survival program that is sending Sox away.

The 1200-pound giraffe was placed in a special tall trailer Tuesday.

"The loading went remarkably smoothly. You always get nervous shipping animals, but especially giraffes," said John Linehan, chief executive of Zoo New England. "With those long legs, we worry about breaking an appendage. But she went on like a dream."

She takes a part of Boston with her, Linehan said. "She's not only a Red Sox fan, but I don't think she cares for the (Pittsburgh) Pirates at all," he said.