How do you move giraffes 180 miles to a new home?

Keep your neck, hooves and tail in the vehicle at all times.

Zoo experts had the tall order of transporting two female giraffes 180 miles (289.7km) on Tuesday to their new home at Twycross Zoo, in Leicestershire, from South Lakes Safari Zoo, in Cumbria, which closed its doors to the public in 2024.

Eloise, 17, and 10-year-old Bonomanzi were reunited with the rest of their herd - a family of three - at the zoo, which is home to the UK's only herd of Kordofan giraffes.

Yianna Cooling, the assistant curator of mammals at Twycross Zoo, said moving the world's tallest animal was a "huge team effort", and was delighted the critically endangered species had arrived safely.

Twycross Zoo said moving the giraffes nearly 200 miles by road was "highly co-ordinated" and used a specialist height-adjustable vehicle - one of only two in Europe.

Likened to a horsebox on stilts, the zoo said the transporter allowed their safe arrival - avoiding Leicestershire landmarks such as Britain's most bashed bridge on the A5 Watling Street, near Hinckley.

Cooling, who has been working with the zoo for 10 years, said: "There's not great options or companies that can move giraffes, so we work closely with animal transporters.

"The trailer is specifically designed. It is lowered to be made flatter and the roof is put at full height so the giraffe has space to walk in and can feel comfortable and the same on the exit.

"It's quite unusual to drive by one on the motorway."

A spokesperson for Twycross Zoo said giraffes travelled standing up - which was normal for them - considering they spend about 20 to 22 hours a day on their feet.

They added the driver would be able to monitor the giraffes with a camera to ensure they were doing well.

Cooling said it was a "straightforward journey" but a lot of training took place before the operation.

"The animals need to be trained to be safely loaded, they have to willingly want to go into the back of a trailer, to be transported down," the expert said.

"So, when it comes to the day, the majority of their routine is normal for them."

Twycross Zoo said keepers worked "extremely hard" to train animals for veterinary checks and transportation through voluntary positive reinforcement training.

A spokesperson explained animals were offered rewards as part of the training - usually food-based - and they always had the chance to walk away and not partake.

They added using the training helped the animals get used to the behaviour, noises, and what to expect on the day of a move.

"It's completely up to them when the time comes to walk into the trailer.

"It takes a lot of patience and perseverance from the team, but the successful move is a huge sign of their hard work and is very rewarding," they added.

The zoo confirmed the giraffes were taken on a direct route from South Lakes Safari Zoo near Dalton-in-Furness, in Cumbria, to Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire.

They were taken on the 181-mile (291.3km) journey down the M6 in one journey without any stops en route.

A spokesperson for the zoo said there was "no doubt" there would have been lots of drivers on the M6 on Tuesday who had "no idea two critically endangered giraffes were driving by their side".

Kordofan giraffes - which are on average between 3.8m and 5m (12.5ft and 16.4ft) tall - are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Cooling said the herd at Twycross Zoo was part of an existing European zoo-led conservation initiative to protect the species.

"Getting them here safely is just the beginning," she said.

"As part of a joint effort between European zoos, we're helping to create a healthy, genetically diverse population that can act as a safety net for this critically endangered species.

"They're an incredible sight for our visitors, but they also represent something much bigger.

"It's incredibly rewarding to know that the work we're doing here will contribute to the future survival of this species."

Eloise, who was born in France, and Bonomanzi, born in the UK, rejoined their herd - female Gaya, male Kofi and one-year-old calf Floris, who arrived at Twycross Zoo in June.

Two Northern male giraffes that were at the zoo were moved to two different zoos in the UK before the arrival of the herd.

Cooling said the females were greeted by the family, and added: "It's all been nice and calm, and a really nice natural grouping for them, so hopefully that will really help them settle in.

"Seeing all five giraffes together was a really special moment for everyone involved.

"It's really important that they're all together as a functioning herd."

She told the BBC the animals the zoo had received were in "very good health".

"They're all settling in really well and they're just beautiful animals," Cooling added.

It is hoped visitors will be able to see the giraffes in October.

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