Little Uno walks tall

Uno – which means number one in Spanish – is nine-years old and is a bit smaller and less muscular than the average adult male. But what he lacks in stature, his keepers say he makes up for in spirit.

As the only male in the group, Uno has been learning to walk tall to gain the attention of the three females in the paddock, despite being one of the smallest in the enclosure.

Keeper Louise Jackobsen, who has been looking after Uno since he arrived earlier this month from Norway, said: “He’s already showing an interest in the females and is not put off by their size. Since he has arrived he’s been eating extremely well and is as calm as a rock.”

Uno comes to Whipsnade as the zoo’s breeding male and will mate with the existing females – Savannah and her two calves Ina and Ijuma.

Mating among giraffes is not a complicated courtship. In the wild males would pick up the scent of a fertile female by their hormones. “They also like to taste their urine, before mating, which happens here too,” said Louise.

Visitors can see Uno and the girls throughout the summer holidays. For more details visit www.zsl.org