Emotional goodbye from West Midlands Safari Park to much-loved giraffe

An emotional goodbye has been made by West Midlands Safari Park to a much-loved giraffe as he prepares to move.

The park, which is near Bewdley, put out a message on social media from a keeper to say goodbye to Kris, who was born at the park in 2022 and had become a popular member of the park over the last four years.

Kris will be moving to Chester Zoo as part of long-term conservation plans for giraffes and his keeper Rosie said she would miss him a lot.

She said: “Today, we said goodbye to Kris the giraffe, born here in 2022 to mum Akacia and dad Rufus.

“Kris has now moved to Chester Zoo as part of the European breeding programme.

“His relocation was carefully planned with both teams working closely together to ensure a smooth journey.

“This move helps support the long-term conservation of giraffes by maintaining a healthy and genetically diverse population across the European conservation network.

“While we’re really proud he’ll play an important role in the programme, Kris will be hugely missed by our keeper team who have cared for him since birth and built a strong bond with him over the years.

“We’re so pleased to see him settling in well and look forward to following his journey in his new home.”