Noah's Ark Zoo Farm welcomes endangered giraffe in time for Christmas

An endangered male giraffe has been welcomed at a zoo in North Somerset, just in time for Christmas.

Noah's Ark Zoo Farm said Ronan, a 3-year-old Rothschild's giraffe, has been settling in well to his new home since arriving at the grounds on Saturday 9 December.

The zoo estimates there are fewer than 2,500 of the giraffes left in the wild.

Born at Belfast Zoo, Ronan was transported to England by sea before continuing his journey to his new home near Bristol.

He has joined two other giraffes at the zoo, 9-year-old male Kito and 6-year-old female Eller, with the park saying he has been "warmly welcomed" into the herd.

Chris Wilkinson, Zoo Curator at Noah’s Ark, said: “Increasing the size of the herd will have a positive impact on all three individuals and will create an interesting dynamic for Ronan as he matures.

"Each Rothschild's giraffe has a completely unique pattern — Ronan is easy to identify within the tower at Noah’s Ark as he has more of a cream colour between his patches compared to Kito and Eller, who are much darker and more orange in colouration,” he added.

Rothschild’s giraffes, a subspecies of the Northern giraffe, are one of the most endangered species of giraffe.

As well as poaching, the population is threatened by habitat loss due to the growing human population and is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Larry Bush, Managing Director at Noah’s Ark said: “We pride ourselves as a zoo in educating visitors on the natural wonders of the planet and the importance of conserving species and habitats for generations to come.

"Giraffes have a lot to teach us and Ronan, Kito and Eller act as ambassadors for their wild counterparts."

He added: "We are so pleased to have Ronan join us for the next chapters of his lifeand are looking forward to watching him grow and develop.”