Chester Zoo is celebrating a new milestone with the arrival of a rare animal for matchmaking. Kris, a lively three-year-old northern giraffe, has travelled from West Midlands Safari Park to meet the zoo's resident female herd.
Carefully Planned Introduction
His introduction has been carefully orchestrated, with conservationists matching the animals based on genetics, age, and temperament. Conservationists at Chester Zoo hope he will prove quite the catch.
Zookeepers are optimistic that his arrival will lead to calves and strengthen the conservation breeding programme for the northern giraffe, one of the world's most endangered giraffe species. Fewer than 7,000 northern giraffes remain in the wild, threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and conflict with humans.
Keeper's Perspective
Rosie Owen, giraffe keeper at Chester Zoo, said: Kris arrival marks the beginning of an important new chapter for the herd here at Chester. He is already settling into his new home brilliantly. At just over three years old, Kris is still a young giraffe, but he is full of confidence and is already getting to know the herd. Out of his five new housemates, four are older females who are all considerably taller than him. He is taking everything in his stride, and we are optimistic that, in time, our matchmaking will pay off and he will go on to play a vital role in helping to save his species from extinction.
Conservation Success Story
Nubian giraffes, a rare subspecies of the northern giraffe, were once found across western Kenya, western Ethiopia, southern Sudan, and Uganda. Their numbers declined by around 95% in just three decades, and today they survive only in small, fragmented populations. However, conservationists at the zoo say there is reason for renewed optimism. Recent monitoring in Uganda revealed that Nubian giraffe numbers, including in national parks where the zoo and its partners are working, have increased year on year.
Stuart Nixon, African conservation expert at Chester Zoo, added: For more than a decade we have supported our in-country partners, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, in their efforts to protect and recover populations of the Nubian giraffe, a subspecies of northern giraffe and one of the most threatened giraffes in all of Africa. The largest remaining population of Nubian giraffe, anywhere in the wild, is found in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. Our work here has included safely translocating genetically important giraffes from the herds there to help strengthen smaller, isolated populations elsewhere in the country. Alongside this, we are also helping to carry out annual population surveys and provide practical support for ranger teams tackling the threat of wire snares and poaching. This work has seen the Nubian giraffe population increase by more than 600 individuals over the last 10 years, with numbers continuing to increase year on year. The recovery of the Nubian giraffe in Uganda is a massive success story and shows what science-led conservation can achieve. It also showcases why continued protection efforts in Africa, paired with coordinated conservation breeding in zoos, remain so important for the future of the northern giraffe.
