Family business

Thank you for uploading all these old photos, so good to see things from another era

Does anyone know what (sub) species of Giraffe this is?

This are Masai Giraffes. Nowadays, the zoo is keeping rothschild giraffes. Unfortunately, no masais left in germany.

You could only see for females of Massai giraffe in Basel and one male in Israel (Kiryat Motzkin)

Basle got now a male, coming from the USA, but they don't know, if they can bring him in the switzerland....

Unfortunately, as I know this transfer failed.

The okapi male, Kilandja, came from Epulu 17.10.1959. A female already arrived 17.09.1959, but died at the day of arriving.

Kilandja died 08.08.1968 at Leipzig and lived next to the Massai giraffes, that arrived at the Zoo in 1960.

@alexkant. No, the transfer has not failed yet, the zoo is still working on the import.

Otherwise, it makes not a sense to keep masai giraffes. Basle is the only holder of them in europe, and masai giraffes are not endarged. So it would be better, to keep a male group of rothschild or reteciulated giraffes. Another option is to use the old antelope house only for okapis.

Next week I will be in Basel zoo and we will disscuss a possible transfer of females to Israel if Basel zoo switches to another subspecies

Interesting to see these two together in a photo