There are five Nubian giraffes at Edinburgh Zoo - Ronnie, Arrow, Gerald, Fennessy and Gilbert.

They arrived in 2021 to form a bachelor herd here at the zoo. Watch Ronnie and Arrow take their first steps into their new home.

FACT FILE

• Just like human fingerprints, no two giraffe have the same coat pattern
• Giraffe feet are the size of a dinner plate with a diameter of 30cm
• Giraffe tongues are bluish colour and between 45 and 50 cm long
• The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world. Even newborn giraffe are taller than most humans!
• Female giraffe give birth standing up. Their young fall about two metres to the ground and can stand up within an hour of birth

HOW WE'RE HELPING

Numbers of giraffes in the wild have declined by almost 30% since the 1980s. They face numerous threats in the wild including habitat loss, poaching, disease, war and civil unrest throughout Africa. 

As a wildlife conservation charity, we care for both the animals here at the zoo and work to protect endangered species around the world. Our partnership with Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) directly contributes to the restoration of giraffe in Uganda. We’re supporting staff training initiatives, conservation monitoring efforts, and RZSS WildGenes is helping GCF understand the success of their reintroduction programmes across the country. 

GCF is the only organisation in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa. They are an international science-based conservation organisation that provides innovative approaches to save giraffe in the wild.

Our giraffes are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) which ensures a healthy and genetically diverse population.

Find out more about RZSS giraffe conservation in Uganda