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Summary for: Double joy at Czech safari park as rare giraffe and zebra are bornSafari Park Dvůr Králové has welcomed two important new arrivals: a female Rothschild’s giraffe and a male maneless zebra, both belonging to highly endangered populations.
The giraffe was born Saturday and is currently staying with its mother in the breeding herd’s indoor facilities while it gains strength. The zebra, born Sept. 18, is already visible with its herd near the park’s Kibo entrance.
The births add to two internationally significant breeding programs rooted in the East Bohemian zoo’s African expeditions more than half a century ago.
New giraffe may remain indoors until spring
The giraffe’s mother is an experienced parent, having now delivered seven calves. The father has sired 18 offspring, Safari Park spokesperson Michal Šťastný said.
Visitors will be able to see the new calf in an outdoor enclosure once weather conditions permit. The public debut could take place later this year, although the zoo said it may have to wait until spring.
Participants in selected behind-the-scenes visitor programs may be able to see the calf sooner.
The birth is the 289th giraffe recorded at Dvůr Králové. Of those, 192 have been Rothschild’s giraffes, while the remainder were reticulated giraffes. The first giraffe born in what was then Czechoslovakia, a male named Pepík, arrived at the zoo in 1972.
Dvůr Králové’s program is regarded as one of the world’s most important for Rothschild’s giraffes. The animals belong to the northern giraffe group, which has suffered steep losses in the wild because of habitat destruction, poaching and armed conflict.
World’s largest maneless zebra herd grows
The male maneless zebra born Sept. 18 has joined a herd of 11 animals, which the safari park says is the largest anywhere in the world.
Only several hundred maneless zebras are believed to remain globally, with their wild population confined to Uganda. The form is considered the most endangered of the zebras kept at Dvůr Králové.
Both breeding programs trace their origins to African expeditions led by former zoo director Josef Vágner. Between 1969 and 1972, the expeditions brought more than 100 giraffes and over 2,000 other animals to Dvůr Králové.
Their descendants later helped establish breeding groups at zoos around the world. The safari park says those populations now provide an important safeguard as giraffes and other African animals continue to lose ground in their natural habitats.
