At the beginning of February, Frankfurt Zoo had to euthanise one of its two giraffes due to illness. As of today, two of the majestic animals can be seen again, as eleven-year-old NIOBE from Hanover moved into the giraffe house on 26 February.

© Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover

At the beginning of February, Frankfurt Zoo had to say goodbye to giraffe BINE. The animal was suffering from an acute and serious illness of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite intensive treatment by the vets, the giraffe's condition could not be improved. To spare her further suffering, the zoo team had to make the decision to euthanise the animal.

Since 2019, BINE has shared the enclosure with the twelve-year-old reticulated giraffe SHUJAA. To prevent her from remaining alone for long, a suitable mate was quickly found for her in other zoos in consultation with the studbook. They found what they were looking for at Hanover Adventure Zoo. One of two giraffes had also died there in February. As giraffes are social animals, they are not kept individually. The Nubian giraffe NIOBE, born on 12 March 2014, moved to Frankfurt at the end of February.

So that the new arrival can settle in well, the giraffe house is currently only open temporarily. However, it will probably not be long before NIOBE can be seen together with SHUJAA at the facility.

The fact that a good solution could be found so quickly also pleases Head of Cultural Affairs Dr Ina Hartwig: "Giraffes were kept at Frankfurt Zoo as early as the 19th century. They are not only extremely popular with visitors, but also play an important role in the zoo's educational and outreach work. These impressive animals with their interesting biology are ambassadors for their wild counterparts and illustrate their adaptation to extreme habitats."

Giraffes are also a key species for Zoo Director Dr Christina Geiger: "Giraffes are considered endangered overall - the populations of all four species have been declining in their natural habitats for decades. Under the current structural conditions, we can keep giraffes, but we cannot participate in breeding programmes. We want to change that. As part of the masterplan, a 2.4-hectare landscape for African savannah animals with indoor and outdoor areas is to be created. There, giraffes can be kept together with zebras and many other species in animal communities. For now, however, we are delighted that the transfer from Hanover has enabled us to find a quick and animal-friendly solution for the two female giraffes."

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