Introducing Fiadh, the Critically Endangered Nubian giraffe calf at Fota Wildlife Park.
Fota Wildlife Park previously announced the birth of a Critically Endangered female Nubian giraffe calf, born to mother Aoife and father Ferdie on Monday, June 15th.
Following a naming competition, where visitors to the Park were encouraged to suggest an Irish name for the new female calf in keeping with the naming tradition for all Fota-born giraffes. Fiadh, which was a popular suggestion, has been chosen. One of entries was randomly selected to be our lucky winner, congratulations to, Aoife Fitzpatrick, who will receive an annual pass to Fota Wildlife Park as their prize.
Fiadh is Aoife’s second calf, following the birth of her first calf, Clodagh, in 2014. Aoife herself was born at Fota Wildlife Park in 2010, as was her mother, Róisín.
At the time, Lead Ranger, Aidan Rafferty, described the birth as a landmark moment. "The gestation period for giraffes is nearly 15 months, so the team has been eagerly anticipating this arrival for well over a year," he said. "Breeding programmes are often complex and unpredictable, and no birth is ever taken for granted. Aoife was incredible throughout. The calf made the typical six-foot drop, landed safely, and was standing on all four feet within the first half hour. Watching those first moments is an incredibly moving experience and a hugely rewarding one for the entire team."
After the birth, we spent several days keeping a close eye on both mother and calf. When it was clear the little one was strong enough, we began the slow, specialised work of introducing the young female to her new herd. The result is something wonderful, with mother and baby are now living side by side in a herd as they would in the wild.”
You can watch the birth yourself on the video above, or check out our YouTube channel for more.
Both Fiadh and mother Aoife have been doing very well and visitors to the Park over the summer have been able to see Fiadh running around the paddock with the rest of the giraffe herd. The Park's giraffe herd has now grown to nine.
The Nubian giraffe is a distinctive subspecies easily recognised by distinctive patterns of dark patches on their coat, separated by bright, cream-colored channels and the absence of markings on their lower legs, a characteristic exclusive to this subspecies.
According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation the Nubian giraffe is now classified as Critically Endangered, with less than 4,000 estimated to remain in their native habitats. Rapid habitat loss driven by agricultural expansion, combined with poaching, political instability and the growing impacts of climate change, has placed the subspecies under mounting pressure over recent decades.
In addition to participating in successful breeding programmes, Fota Wildlife Park contributes €10,000 annually to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, a unique organisation focused exclusively on the conservation and management of wild giraffe populations across Africa.
