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Pacu

Giraffe

Three female giraffe, now. Elish (not in the picture) has been there longest. Does anyone know about the other two, or what happened to the males that were previously there?

Giraffe
Pacu, 30 May 2014
iluvwhales likes this.
    • Pacu
      Three female giraffe, now. Elish (not in the picture) has been there longest. Does anyone know about the other two, or what happened to the males that were previously there?
    • Kifaru Bwana
      The other 2 females are Molly and Margaret, having arrived from Chester Zoo in 2009.

      ZSL Regent's Park has not had male giraffe for a very very long time. Their last breeding male was Hillary who died in August 1998.

      The last male giraffe to leave the ZSL collection was one of Hillary's sons: Killian (born March 1999) and transferred to Colchester in 2001. He subsequently died there sometime in November 2005.
    • Pacu
      I remember Hilary very well and saw him just a few days before he died; nothing was mentioned about it, probably as there was a well publicised gorilla death at about the same time.

      After the long term residents Hilary, Dribbles, Dawn and Crackers, I thought there were a couple of young males, one being called Curraugh - or something very similar. I think Elish has been there for a long time, though.
    • Communityzoo
      Unless my memory escapes me, for a few years I think it was just Dawn and Crackers, I think with the opening of 'Into Africa', Elish was brought in, but then Dawn and Crackers, both at an advanced age, had both died within a year or two of this and were subsequently replaced by the two Chester animals in 2009.

      While the breeding group produced calves, there were issues with two of the last calves having ears chewed off by their mother(s). I suspect this was a behavioural issue with just one cow but I'm sure may have contributed to their decision not to replace the breeding bull. I would also not be surprised if the listed house no longer meets EEP requirements for a breeding group (not saying the house is poor, in fact given its age it's superior to many newer giraffe buildings).

      One of the current animals has exhibited stereotyped head-twisting when I've visited. I don't know which individual it is that does this, or whether she arrived already displaying this behaviour. I think London will lose their giraffe unless they create something much larger and more stimulating. I don't see empty, green fields as superior to a smaller sand enclosure provided the latter has lots of opportunities to forage for browse. An extended giraffe paddock at London, with living browse hedges and thickets could be done easily, and could raise the bar for giraffe exhibits.
    • Pacu
      Thanks. I have just checked back and Caragh was female, so that all makes sense; just me misremembering, I think.
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    ZSL London Zoo
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    Pacu
    Date:
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