New Rothschild giraffe, with love heart on cheek, welcomed at Marwell Zoo

A new Rothschild giraffe has been welcomed by keepers at Marwell Zoo, in Hampshire.

Mburo is the first male giraffe at the zoo for five years and is going to live with the female giraffes, Makeda, Christa and Ruby, who were all born at the zoo.

The herd is being quarantined for 30 days to reduce the risk of introducing parasites and disease. This means the chance of viewing the giraffe is currently limited.

Once this period is over, staff said Mburo will be easy to spot, as the three-year-old has a love heart on his left cheek. 

Every giraffe can be identified by the pattern on its coat, which is completely unique, much like a human fingerprint.

He arrived at his new home on Thursday 8 September and is said to have settled in well.

Mburo is currently around 4 metres tall but will be 5.7m when he's fully grown.

Adam Ford, Senior Animal Keeper, said: "Mburo’s arrival is very exciting for Marwell and the future of the Rothschild’s giraffes, furthering Marwell’s in-situ conservation programmes.

"He is settling in well with the girls and is proving to be a big character already.

"He has many distinguishable features such as his large Ossicones (the horns on a giraffe’s head) which both bulls and cows have, but in bull giraffes they are always more prominent."