Question: When is the birth of a giraffe connected to Rothschild & Co?
Answer: When it is a Rothschild giraffe, or Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildii!
News erupted recently of the joyous birth of a new addition to a herd of rare Rothschild giraffes at Chester Zoo in the UK, and another at Berlin’s Tierpark zoo.
What makes a Rothschild giraffe? The simple answer is that a Rothschild giraffe has five horns instead of the mere four granted to other types.
The sub-species commemorates Walter, 2nd Lord Rothschild (1868-1937). For Walter, no pleasure equalled that of zoology. He built his own zoological museum on the family’s estate at Tring in Hertfordshire, UK, to house a vast collection of specimens of every shape and size which poured in from around the world. Opened to the public in 1892, the collection is now administered by the Natural History Museum and still displays thousands of specimens passionately collected, studied, and preserved by him.
The new Rothschild giraffe calf is far from being the only animal carrying the Rothschild tag. No fewer than 250 species and sub-species all around the world are forever ‘rothschildii’, from elephants to flies, swallows to wallabies, hares to hummingbirds, all of them a living tribute to one person’s life-long enthusiasm.
Perhaps a visit to see a Rothschild giraffe could be added to your to do list over the summer! Or visit Walter’s museum at Tring.
Learn more about the important conservation and breeding programme at Chester Zoo here.