Yorkshire Wildlife Park welcomes Setanta the giraffe from Twycross Zoo
Setanta, a Rothschild giraffe, is getting used to life up north after moving 75 miles from the East Midlands.
Last updated 19th Jun 2026
There's a very tall new arrival at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Setanta, a Rothschild giraffe, is getting used to life up north after moving 75 miles from Twycross Zoo in the East Midlands.
He was moved to the park in a special vehicle with a 6 metre tall roof. The 15 year old mammal is said to be settling well into his new surroundings.
Head of Hoofstock at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Kyrie Birkett, travelled down to Twycross to get to know Setanta before his move: “He is quite a calm and steady character and is very food orientated" she said.
“We have swapped notes with his keeper, who has looked after him for the past 10 years.
“I think he is going to be a big hit with visitors. We will introduce him to Jambo and Jengo over the next couple of days and hope that he will settle well as he has been in a bachelor group previously.”
YWP’s animal director Dr Charlotte MacDonald said: “I’m delighted that Setanta has arrived safely in Yorkshire."
“It feels like a full circle moment getting to work with him again and I am really happy to see him.”
"You will find two subspecies of Giraffe at YWP: Reticulated and Rothschild also known as Nubian giraffe.
"Reticulated giraffes are native to Somalia and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya, while Rothschild giraffes like Setanta are native to Kenya as well as Uganda."