MATILDA’S A MUM! Matilda is an eight-year old giraffe who was also born at Marwell. She is the daughter of Dribbles and Harry. Dribbles lived to be the oldest giraffe in the world and died at the estimated age of 33. She had been a mate of the famous Victor. (Victor fell down at Marwell in 1977 and heroic steps were made to lift him but he died. This episode made world headlines and helped to put Marwell on the map.)

The calf is Matilda’s third baby and the father is the tall, dark and handsome Christopher who is 14 years of age.

 

Giraffes at Marwell have traditionally been given royal names – Matilda was named after the wife of the twelfth century king Stephen. Keepers have named the new addition 'Behanzin'.

Baby giraffes weigh 50 – 70 kg and are 1.7 to 2 metres in height. Adult giraffes are the tallest land animal and because of their great height they browse the uppermost branches of trees. An adult male can ready 6 metres in height. Despite their height they have the same number of vertebrae in their necks as a human being – seven.

Despite having few predators, giraffes are still dependent on conservation efforts, mainly in terms of saving their habitat.