Young Tamu has a head for heights

ONE of Dublin Zoo’s newest attractions, a rare female Rothschild giraffe, was officially named last week.

Meaning

‘sweet one’ in Swahili, the suggestion was submitted by Grainne Byrne of Summerhill, Co Meath in a competition organised by the zoo.

Helen Clarke-Bennet, team leader of the African Plains said the young giraffe was in good health, much to the delight of all the zookeepers.

“Tamu is doing very well, standing tall at six feet with a pale tan coat which makes her easily recognisable amongst the herd,

? she said.

“She is an extremely well adjusted and relaxed calf, following the herd wherever they wander.

“We received an overwhelming number of superb suggestions and picking the winning entry was not easy. We chose the name Tamu as it fits her personality perfectly!

?

The Rothschild giraffe is one of the most threatened of the nine giraffe sub-species. Rothschild male giraffes grow to six metres in height and can weigh over 2,000kg. Fewer than 700 now live in the wild.

Their coat is a distinct mix of dark patches that are broken up by bright cream channels.

Live footage of the giraffe herd can be seen on Dublin Zoo’s African Savanna webcam at www.dublinzoo.ie.