Barbora Dobiášová, curator of ungulates at Prague Zoo, said: “Niara came to us on the recommendation of the European breeding coordinator for this species. Her transfer is part of the rejuvenation of our herd prior to the arrival of a new breeding male, whom we are expecting at the start of the summer.” She went on to add that this is the first giraffe to come to Prague Zoo since April 2017, saying: “The last time ‘new blood’ came to us was almost nine years ago, when the female Nsia arrived from Marwell Zoo in England.”

The new giraffe made her first steps as she walked from the transport vehicle to the off-show facilities at the Africa House. There, she became familiar with the local conditions and also made contact with her Prague herd – first visual and then direct, on the second day.

The new giraffe’s first contact with the zoo’s visitors. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Barbora Dobiášová went on to add: “The giraffes accepted the new herd member in their inimitable way, i.e. in a conservative and cautious manner. However, despite their initial caution, they mostly showed a positive interest. The only slightly prickly reaction came from the female Faraa, who responded to the unfamiliar presence by defending Johanka, her almost adult daughter. However, she soon recognised that Niara posed no threat.”

Niara is the daughter of Matyáš, a male giraffe born at Prague Zoo in 2019 who moved to Leipzig Zoo the following year. She is also the granddaughter of the legendary male Johan and the female Eliška. She has now met her aunts, Anička and Johanka, at Prague Zoo. These three young giraffes could give birth to Prague’s future calves.

Niara is introduced to Prague’s female giraffes. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The zoo is currently seeking a successor to Johan, who fathered 29 offspring during his 18 years at Prague Zoo, making him the most reproductively successful male giraffe in its history. The most likely candidate is expected to arrive in June from the Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the Netherlands.

Prague Zoo was the first zoo in Czechoslovakia to exhibit giraffes. It has been keeping giraffes since 1954, when visitors could see Lenka, a female Masai giraffe. Since then, the zoo has kept various species and subspecies, with a focus on breeding Nubian giraffes (formerly known as Rothschild’s giraffes) since the 1970s. This subspecies is currently listed on the IUCN Red List as “critically endangered”. Over 80 calves have been born here, the most recent being the female Johanka in July 2024. The Prague herd currently numbers eight females.

Niara (right) patiently tolerates the attention of the other females during their first meeting. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Giraffes are the tallest living animals. Adult males are generally over five metres tall, and some six-metre individuals have been recorded, albeit rarely. Females are somewhat smaller, usually reaching four and a half metres. The various subspecies of giraffes differ in their basic coloration as well as in the shape, density and colour of their spots. In addition, each animal has its own unique pattern – similar to human fingerprints.

Niara (pictured in the foreground on the left) appears to be most at ease in the vast African savanna enclosure. The ample space allows her to move closer to or further away from the other animals as she pleases. This will help her adapt and understand her place in the herd’s hierarchy. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo