Issue 16 Spring 2015

GIRAFFES
ARE BACK AT
TWYCROSS ZOO!
Twycross Zoo welcomes
the return of giraffes in
brand new exhibit.
The Half-Term holidays are
a prime time for fun family
days out and Twycross Zoo has
reported healthy visitor numbers
across the school holidays thanks
to the pleasant warm weather,
and the return of giraffes to its
Leicestershire site. The zoo has
erected a brand new purposebuilt
facility which is now home
to three male giraffes, Epesi,
Setanta and Brad, who have
travelled across land and sea to
their new enclosure. The giraffes
arrived in early April and have
been settling in to their new
surroundings and meeting each
other for the first time, forming
a bachelor group.
Dr. Charlotte Macdonald,
Director of Life Sciences says,
“It is very important that
captive bred animals maintain
healthy genetics, and our three
new males were all in need
of a new habitat as part of
European breeding programme
recommendations because you
cannot keep multiple males with
females.”
The giraffes are now residing
in Twycross Zoo’s Giraffe
Savannah, a purpose-built
facility with a large house and
communal stable area and
outdoor paddocks that open on
to a savannah grassland which
runs parallel with Elephant
Creek. Giraffe Savannah is the
first brand new animal enclosure
to be built as part of the zoo’s
20 year masterplan vision which
was announced in March 2015.
There are nine sub-species of
giraffe, of which, Twycross
Zoo now has two types.
Epesi is a reticulated giraffe,
currently six years old who
MAIN (l-r) Epesi, Setanta and Brad. Photo by Nicola Williscroft
transferred to Twycross
Zoo from Colchester Zoo.
Reticulated giraffes are
native to Somalia and parts
of Ethiopia and Kenya.
Visitors will be able to tell
Epesi apart from the other
two males by his distinctive
coat which has liver spots
outlined by clearly defined
white lines.
Setanta and Brad,
are both Baringo
giraffes, a name
derived from
Lake Baringo in
Kenya, but they
are often more
commonly known
as Rothschild giraffes. This
sub-species of giraffe is
native to Kenya and Uganda.
The coat of a Baringo giraffe
is a different shade from
reticulated giraffes, and the
markings stop at their knees
to give the appearance
of wearing long white
stockings. They are also the
only sub species of giraffe
“We are
absolutely
delighted
to welcome
giraffes back to
Twycross Zoo”
DAYS OUT
TWYCROSS
ZOO
to have five ossicones – the
term given to the horn-like
structures on their heads.
Setanta is currently 4 years
old and travelled to Twycross
Zoo from Fota Wildlife Park
in Ireland, while Brad, the
smallest of the three, is two
years old and came from
Flamingo Land in Yorkshire.
Dr Macdonald
continues, “The
giraffes have
been incredibly
calm throughout
their journeys
to Twycross Zoo,
and we are slowly
introducing them to
each other so that they will
soon live harmoniously as a
bachelor group. They have
responded very well to their
new surroundings and to our
visitors who have been very
excited to see them during
the Easter holidays, and we
expect to see them exploring
the outside Savannah area
very soon.”
Twycross Zoo is open to the public from
10am-6pm. For more information and to
book tickets visit www.twycrosszoo.org
or call 0844 474 1777
www.mollysguide.co.uk 43