. >> good boy, nuru. >> basically he's like the new kid at school. >> he is. >> why zookeepers are hoping this little guy will make a special connection. >>> and their image is baked into marijuana culture, now they're making power plays at the state capitol. >>> from kpix, this is the late news with sara donchey on cbs news bay area. >> hi, i'm sara donchey. so much has been said about san francisco's troubles. you hear about them well beyond the bay area. they make their way into national news all the time. but tonight the city was focused on how to fix them, specifically how each of the people running for mayor plan to do that. tonight the top five polling candidates met on the debate stage at the sydney goldstein civic center. lauren toms was there. >> reporter: contenders for the city's top job sparred over how they plan to address some of san francisco's most infamous issues. all eyes were on incumbent mayor london breed, who defended her record on public safety and homelessness. >> we are seeing one of the lowest crime rates we've seen in ten year, and that is continuing to trend t

as illegal trade and loss of habitat threaten its survival. >> good boy nuru. >> reporter: nuru is what'shreatened species in 2018. with a little over 11,000 left in the wild. the idea, amy says, is to have him and the rest of the gang serve as ambassadors for conservation. >> one thing we know about conservation is that people conserve what they love. and they care about what they know. >> reporter: and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that visitors here have fallen in love with this big bundle of joy. who at 13 months, is already 10 feet tall. >> he's wonderful. and i just really hope that when people come here and see them, they want to do their job protecting them. >> reporter: as for nuru, he's still a little shy. for most of the time we were there, he kept his distance. though clearly curious about who we were or maybe it was just the food. basically he's like -- the new kid at school? >> he is. yes. so just like -- any kid that goes to a new school and they're trying to learn the ropes and learn the different social cliques and where to sit at lunch, that's what he's trying to do to

called nuru. who arrived here from new orleans.making his public debut after spending a month quarantine. it may seem like a tall tale, zoo keepers hope his arrival will spark a love story. >> and possibly some day kendi who is our young calf who you see out in the middle of the exhibit. >> reporter: the giraffe is the world's tallest land mammal and a prime attraction at zoos around the world. sadly, it's also in great peril. as illegal trade and loss of habitat threaten its survival. >> good boy nuru. >> reporter: he is what's known as a reticulated giraffe. designated as a threatened species in 2018. with a little over 11,000 left in the wild. the idea saymy says is to have him and the rest of the gang serve as ambassadors for conservation. >> one thing we know about conservation is that people conserve what they love. and they care about what they know. >> reporter: and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that visitors here have fallen in love with this big bundle of joy. who at 13 months, is already 10 feet tall. >> he's wonderful

. >> and what a better way to celebrate the enough is enough nuru with the light nothing is th energy we. at an the hope >> (speaking foreign language.) >> relative to the current administration it is, it is touching very worrisome for our immigrant frames you know and some of the stability in the country and i know how this new president is doing you know immigration as well as immigrants (fireworks) later than you think new year the largest holiday no asia and china those of us when my grandparents came over in the 19 hundreds and celebrated in the united states chinese nuru is traditional with a lot of meaning. >> good afternoon my name is carmen chu assessor-recorder i want to wish everything a happy new year thank you for joining us i want to say. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> (speaking foreign language.) >> i'm proud to be a native san franciscan i grew up in the chinatown, north beach community port commission important to come back and work with those that live in the community that i grew up in and that that very, very important to give back to continue to work with the

nuru, which means light is making his public debut after spending a month in quarantine. and while it may seem like a tall tale, they hope that the arrival will spark a love connection. >> and he is here to breathe with this tiny girl here and possibly some day, who is our young cat who you would see out in the middle of the exhibit. >> reporter: and the giraffe is the world tallest land mammal and a prime attraction at zoos around the world and sadly it is also in great peril as the trade and the loss of habitat will threaten their survival. that is what's known as the articulated giraffe. who is already ten feet tall. >> he's wonderful. and i just really hope that when people come here and they see them that they will want to do their job protecting them. >> reporter: and he is still a little shy. for most of the time we were there that he would keep his distance, though clearly curious about who we were or maybe just the food. >> and he is the new kid on school. and they are trying to learn the ropes, learning the different social things. and while racing neck and neck