Dublin Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a male Rothschild giraffe calf. Born in the early hours of Thursday, September 12, the healthy giraffe calf stands at 1.8 meters tall and weighs an estimated 60kg. The newborn joins the rest of the giraffe herd at Dublin Zoo, along with its mother Casey and father Tafari, in the African Savanna.

 Zoo Keeper at Dublin Zoo, Pamela O’Brien said: “We are very excited about the latest addition to the giraffe herd. Casey, his mother is doing an excellent job and is very attentive to her newborn. The calf is full of energy and very inquisitive!”

The Rothschild giraffe is one of the most threatened of the nine sub-species of giraffe. Rothschild male giraffes grow to six metres in height and can weigh over 2000kg. Fewer than 670 remain in the wild.

Giraffe House Challenge

To celebrate the new arrival and Science Week 2019, Dublin Zoo is calling upon young designers to participate in ‘The Giraffe House Challenge’. This innovative competition tasks budding young designers to try their hand at creating a new giraffe house.

To enter, students will sign up to a one-day programme at Dublin Zoo where they will learn from a team of experts including zookeepers, engineers and sustainability experts before setting on their challenge to design a new giraffe house.

‘The Giraffe House Challenge’ takes place from Monday, November 4 to Friday, November 8 and Monday, November 11 to Friday, November 15 2019 in Dublin Zoo. The programme has been specifically designed for 3rd – 6th class primary students and 1st to transition year secondary students.

The winner will receive an incredible €2,000 off their school’s electricity bill for a year and runners up will secure a trip to W5 in Belfast for their entire class, with thanks to SSE Airtricity. SSE Airtricity is Ireland’s largest provider of 100 percent green energy and sustainability partner to Dublin Zoo.