In the largest forest-park "animal reserve" in Europe, where their keeping conditions approximate their natural habitat - the capital zoo Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde (Am Tierpark 125, 10319 Berlin) there is a new addition to the family of the rare Rothschild's giraffe subspecies (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), belonging to the species of even-toed ungulate mammals, giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis).

On April 28 the giraffe (colloquially – the female giraffe) Katharina (Katharina, 21 years) gave birth to a calf by the male giraffe bull Jabulani (Jabulani, 14 years). The director of the capital's zoos Zoo Berlin and Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde, Dr. Andreas Knieriem (Andreas Knieriem) commented: "The birth concluded successfully, and the condition of the mother and the newborn fully meets our expectations. Katharina, already an 'experienced mother', successfully delivered her tenth calf. The male calf is doing very well and shows admirable steadiness on his slender legs."

Rothschild's giraffes have unique characteristic features. Some of them:

- exceptionally tall height (up to 6 meters). They are the tallest of all giraffes and the tallest mammals in the world;

- some individuals can reach a weight of more than 1.5 tonnes;

- they have five ossicones (horn-like protrusions) on their heads. Whereas giraffes of other subspecies have two. Two large ossicones are located on the top of the head (as in all giraffes), the third in the center of the forehead, and two more behind each ear;

- coloration: compared to other subspecies, Rothschild's giraffes have lighter patches with less distinct outlines, and the lines connecting them have a creamy tint. The lower part of the limbs lacks any pattern, which visually resembles wearing "white socks";

- habitat: they live in savannas, woodlands and plains of Kenya and Uganda.

Lifespan - in zoos: 20 - 27 years, in the wild: 10 - 15 years.

Since 2016 the Rothschild's giraffe subspecies has been classified as "endangered" in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, Red List of Threatened Animals). In their natural habitat, by various estimates, only about 1400 individuals remain. The main threats include hunting and habitat degradation.

The names of this giraffe subspecies are quite notable. Sometimes they are called "Baringo" (a freshwater lake in the East African Rift Valley in Kenya), "Ugandan giraffes". But most often – "Rothschild's giraffes". Named in honor of the British banker, financier, politician, zoologist and collector, founder of the Natural History Museum at Tring (Natural History Museum at Tring, Hertfordshire , southeast England) Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron of the Rothschild dynasty (08.02.1868 – 27.08.1937). He was the first to describe this giraffe subspecies in the early 20th century during the well-known expedition to Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. Jokingly, Rothschild's giraffes are often called "billionaire giraffes", referring to L. W. Rothschild's connection to the global financial empire.

You can already observe the entire unique "close-knit family" of Rothschild's giraffes at the Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde zoo.

Photo: © 2026 Zoo Berlin / © 2026 Tierpark Berlin