The male giraffe is "proving to be a big character already"
Marwell Zoo has welcomed a baby giraffe with a heart marking on its cheek to its enclosure.
Three-year-old "Mburo" will live alongside the Marwell's female giraffes, and is the first male of the species to set foot in the zoo in five years. Staff have said that Mburo is "settling in well with the girls" and "proving to be a big character already", although he stands at just four metres tall, 1.7 metres less than he could be.
Describing Mburo's arrival as 'exciting', Senior Animal Keeper Adam Ford discussed the giraffe's unique appearance: “He has many distinguishable features such as his large ossicones (the horns on a giraffe’s head) which both bulls and cows have, but in bull giraffes, they are always more prominent.
"He also has a perfect love heart on his left cheek!”
Ford added that Mburo's entry will help towards "furthering Marwell's in-situ conservation programmes." However, due to the giraffe being transported from outside the zoo, the herd is "being quarantined for the moment to reduce the risk of introducing parasites and disease".
Their website reads, "There are still places to see them but the areas in closest proximity have been closed off for the time being".
Marwell Zoo announced the sudden death of their giraffe, Irsula, last month.
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