High hopes for fruitful giraffe romance at zoo

Photo / Kellie Blizard

Variety will spice up a local giraffe's love life, thanks to an Australian import.

Two-year-old Kiraka, from Sydney's Taronga Zoo, is intended to boost the genetic diversity of giraffes in Australasian zoos.

"Obviously there are issues if there is inbreeding. It's definitely something that all progressive zoos are aware of," Auckland Zoo spokeswoman Grace Honey says.

Zoo staff hope Kiraka will mate with Zabulu, 12. Honey says the newcomer is being gradually introduced to Zabulu.

"They're not particularly social animals but they're very curious. It's been tentative but they're getting there."

If sparks fly between the long-legged pair, Kiraka will give birth after 15 months. Zookeepers will be kept waiting all that time to know the baby's gender - Honey says there are no pregnancy scans available for 5m mammals. If the baby was a male he would probably go to another zoo in this part of the world because male giraffes are very territorial and there is room for only one adult male at the zoo.

Kiraka will be in Auckland for the foreseeable future. The zoo plans to build a $300,000 giraffe house next year.