Chester Zoo now has a direct conservation link to Longleat after three-year-old Nubian giraffe Stanley arrived there on Wednesday. The new arrival joins a breeding programme for a species that Longleat says has fewer than 500 thought to remain in the wild.
Darren Beasley, the head of animal operations, called the arrival “fantastic” and said, “Longleat has been one of the most successful hubs for the breeding programmes of Nubian giraffes, so to start that journey again is a privilege.” Stanley is already on the Drive Through Safari, where visitors can see him.
Longleat and Chester Zoo
The move follows Longleat’s loss of its previous bull, Thorn, in 2024. Thorn fathered 29 calves over the course of his life, leaving Stanley to take on the next stage of the breeding effort once he reaches full maturity.
Longleat says it currently has nine female Nubian giraffes, and all nine were born at the park. That gives Stanley a built-in herd to join, rather than a single new arrival waiting on its own.
Stanley on the Drive Through Safari
Stanley is nearly 4m tall already, but he is still growing. Male Nubian giraffes can reach heights of up to 6m, so keepers are looking at the span between his current size and full maturity before he can take over breeding duties.
The arrival fits into the European Endangered Species Programme, which Stanley is expected to continue once he is mature enough. For visitors, the practical change is simple: Stanley is now part of the Drive Through Safari herd, and Longleat is rebuilding its breeding line after Thorn’s death in 2024.
The park’s next task is to let Stanley grow into the role. His value is not just that he is present now, but that he may eventually carry forward the breeding work already started at Longleat.
