Keepers surprised veteran giraffe with birthday celebration

Tuesday, 28 February 2023 00:00

Longleat keepers helped their veteran giraffe Thorn celebrate his 22nd birthday with a surprise 22-carrot cake.

Keepers at the Wiltshire Safari Park created a tasty treat for the giant giraffe, which included 22 carrots instead of more traditional candles.

The bull Rothschild’s giraffe, which is more than 18ft tall and weighs over 1.3 tonnes, is considered among the country's oldest.

Now enjoying a well-earned retirement, the massive male, who arrived at Longleat more than a decade ago, is the father of no fewer than 29 calves and five grandchildren.

“Thorn is a real character and, in spite of his imposing height, he’s actually a very well-behaved gentleman, although, like all bull giraffes, he is not shy about letting us know what he wants,” said keeper Tom Adams.

“Despite his advancing years, he’s actually in remarkably good health and certainly seemed to enjoy his birthday treat.

“In the wild, the maximum life expectancy for a male is between 15-20 years, so at 22, he is definitely considered a veteran,” he added.

Originally born in Edinburgh, Thorn arrived at Longleat in 2012 and has been the herd’s dominant bull ever since.

Longleat Safari Park has one of the most successful captive breeding programmes for Rothschild’s giraffes in Europe, with dozens of calves being sent to zoological collections in the UK and across the continent.

The giraffes share their 60-acre reserve with a herd of Grant’s zebra, black wildebeest and ostriches.

The Rothschild’s giraffe has been officially designated as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which means it may be threatened with extinction in the near future.

In 2018 it was estimated fewer than 1,500 individuals remained in the wild. The Wiltshire Safari Park has one of Europe's most successful captive breeding programmes for this type of giraffe.

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