Rare Rothschild's giraffe born at Chester zoo on Boxing Day

Calf, which is yet to be sexed or named, is one of most endangered subspecies of giraffe, with fewer than 1,600 in wild

 

Nazia Parveen North of England correspondent

Thursday 29 December 2016 12.38 GMT Last modified on Thursday 29 December 2016 12.52 GMT

A rare and endangered Rothschild’s giraffe has been born at Chester zoo.

Keepers said the 1.82-metre (6ft) calf, which is yet to be sexed or named, arrived to first-time mother Tula and father Meru at about 7am on Boxing Day and was up on its feet just minutes later.

Rothschild’s giraffes are one of the most endangered subspecies of giraffe and one of the world’s most at-risk species. Estimates suggest fewer than 1,600 remain in the wild, primarily as a result of poaching and habitat loss.

Sarah Roffe, team manager of giraffes at the zoo, said: “Rothschild’s giraffes are highly endangered and so the arrival of a new calf is a major cause for celebration. It really is the best Christmas gift we could have ever have wished for. Shortly after being born, the calf was up on its feet within minutes, which was really pleasing to see.

 

“When it gets a little more used to its long legs it will be introduced to the rest of the herd but, for now, it’s important that mum and calf spend a few days together striking up those early bonds.”

Just 90,000 giraffes exist in the wild – far fewer than the endangered African elephant. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature changed the animals’ status from “of least concern” to “vulnerable” this month. Giraffes are also declining because of civil unrest in the African countries where they live.

Roffe said: “This iconic species is often overlooked in Africa and, sadly, Rothschild’s giraffes are experiencing a silent extinction. They are very much under threat in the wild, so it’s vital that our new calf helps us to throw a spotlight on this amazing species. Hopefully, our not-so-little arrival can generate more awareness of the huge pressures that Rothschild’s giraffes face in the wild.”

Read on 

Polish vandals scare two giraffes to death

Two female giraffes have died of heart attack and stress caused by a night rampage by a group of vandals in a Polish zoo. The zoo is now struggling to find a mate for the only survivor, six-year-old Tofik from the endangered Rothschild subspecies.

The staff discovered the dead body of one female giraffe early in the morning amid the havoc that several unidentified vandals had left after their malicious hooliganism. The gang broke into the zoo in the city of Lodz on Saturday. They overturned benches and signs and threw garbage cans into the cages, stressing the animals. 

A post-mortem showed that the three-year-old giraffe died almost immediately after the incident. 

The second female giraffe died on Monday. Though it was being treated for an infestation of parasites, zoo officials believe that stress contributed much to the death.

"These are wild animals and very skittish," said zoo Director Ryszard Topola, adding that the incident was an irrevocable loss.

The zoo in the city of Lodz, one of Poland’s 20 zoos, had only three giraffes from the endangered Rothschild giraffe subspecies. Now, after two females tragically died, the zoo’s breeding section is struggling to find a companion giraffe for the male Tofik in other European zoos.

Police have opened an investigation into the act of vandalism, but the fact that the zoo is not equipped with security cameras is hampering the search.

Meanwhile, the Polish national Animal Guard, together with city authorities, has offered a $1,500 reward for any help in finding the culprits, who face prison sentences of up to five years for this crime.

http://rt.com/news/poland-zoo-giraffes-heart-attack-397/

Rothschild's giraffe threatened by extinction

August 2010: The Rothschild's giraffe is the latest charismatic African mammal to be declared "Endangered" by IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature), adding to the growing number of species under threat of extinction.


There are currently nine recognised giraffe sub-species and the Rothschild's is the second most imperilled, with fewer than 670 of them remaining in the wild. Historically ranging across western Kenya, Uganda, and southern Sudan, it has been almost totally eliminated from most of its former range and now survives in only a few small and isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda.


In Kenya, all known wild populations of Rothschild's giraffe have been eradicated by agricultural development and remnant populations are confined to National Parks, private properties and other protected areas. These remaining populations are physically isolated from one another making it impossible for them to interbreed and population growth is further hindered as a result of the closed nature of these conservation areas which have reached or exceeded carrying capacities.


A first in giraffe conservation
Sixty per cent of the world's remaining wild population of Rothschild's giraffe are found in Kenya (with the remainder in Uganda), a country that has recently shown its commitment to giraffe conservation. With the launch of a National Giraffe Conservation Strategy, the first giraffe-focussed conservation action plan of its kind, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is leading the way. This strategy will work to conserve all three of the giraffe sub-species found in Kenya, in particular the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Its development marks a first in giraffe conservation and raises awareness of the significance of, and urgent need to conserve these animals.

Despite low population figures and an ‘Endangered' status, little is known about the ecology and behaviour of Rothschild's giraffe in the wild, an issue that must be addressed if we are to develop and implement effective conservation strategies. To this end the Rothschild's Giraffe Project was launched in Spring 2010. This project seeks to provide the first scientific review of Rothschild's behaviour and ecology in the wild, and provide information about key ecological and habitat requirements necessary for the development and implementation of meaningful conservation initiatives.


Let's act before it is too late
Dr Julian Fennessy, well known in African conservation circles for his pioneering work in giraffe conservation, comments: ‘I am delighted and, of course, saddened at the same time that the Rothschild giraffe has finally made the IUCN Red List status. We have been striving for this for a while now and hope this will highlight to the world the critical state its tallest creature is in. As the second giraffe sub-species (of 9 known) to now be listed as endangered, we all have our work cut out to form sound conservation strategies to improve the situation in the short, medium and long term. The whole thrust of our work here is to put strategies in place BEFORE it is too late - extinction is simply not an option'

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is actively supporting the Rothschild's Giraffe Project as well as other giraffe research across Africa. These include the provision of technical support and funding, sharing data and results for a comprehensive approach to giraffe conservation.


http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/giraffe-extinction.html