Puzzle of the Day

Previous puzzle:

What word fills in the blanks to complete the whimsical poem below?                    
(It's the same word in every blank.)

Hint: It's an animal.

Answer:

   Giraffe. Here's the unredacted poem.

My favorite submission (this is from one person):

Just for fun, have a random index card cartoon I drew in my youth:

Congrats to solvers Hazel, Nicholas, Anna J., Josh M., Jessica, Andrew, and Zachary S.!