Meet Ballycarry, Marwell Zoo's newest 'iconic' Rothschild giraffe as the herd of endangered species continues to grow

Marwell Zoo has welcomed its newest addition ahead of half-term with a two-year old giraffe now acclimatising to its new surroundings.

The female Rothschild giraffe called Ballycarry, or Carry for short, arrived from Belfast Zoo with visitors able to see the addition to Marwell’s herd this half term. She has joined her fellow giraffes, female Christa and male Mburo, in the enclosure with the zoo asking visitors to keep their distance as she settles in.

Marwell’s Animal Operations Manager Ian Goodwin said: “We’re really excited to welcome another Rothschild giraffe to Marwell as we continue to grow the herd here at the zoo. As an Endangered species, every giraffe plays an important role in the long-term future of the population in conservation zoos.

“Giraffes are such an iconic species, and it’s always special to welcome a new individual to the zoo. We’re looking forward to getting to know Carry’s personality over the coming weeks and we know that our visitors will love seeing her!”

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Ballycarry joined Marwell as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Ex-situ Programme.

The newest attraction at the zoo comes just in time for its new Zoo Wonders event which starts today (May 23), enabling visitors to take on interactive activities and hands-on challenges which show will show them the hidden side of zoo life and what keeps Marwell operating every day.

Zoo wonders runs from May 23 to May 31 and includes the below activities:

• Hands-on discovery hub, daily between 10.30am to 3.30pm in the Secret Garden
• Glitter tattoos, daily between 10am to 2pm in the Secret Garden (additional charge applies)
• Take photos with the Marwell machines dotted around the park
• Daily animal feeds and talks
• Virtual reality experience: under the Asian canopies, daily between 10am to 1pm in the giraffe house (additional charge applies)

More details can be found at https://www.marwell.org.uk/.