A new Rothschild’s giraffe has arrived at Pairi Daiza. Kali, a female born on February 15, 2024 at Knuthenborg Safaripark in Denmark, reached the Belgian park on the evening of September 15 after travelling several hundred kilometres.
She will join the two Rothschild’s giraffes already living at Pairi Daiza, female PoléPolé and male Oliver, but her arrival is not simply the result of an available space. The transfer was recommended as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which coordinates the management of the population in European zoological institutions.
The programme maintains detailed information on the ancestry and demographics of individual giraffes. This allows coordinators to assess potential breeding pairs while seeking to preserve as much genetic diversity as possible within the population.
Kali’s transfer to Pairi Daiza therefore took into account her age — she is two and a half years old — as well as her genetic background and that of the giraffes already living there.
Kali will join Oliver and PoléPolé
Oliver was born on August 1, 2016 at Safari Park Dvůr Králové in the Czech Republic and has lived at Pairi Daiza since 2018.
He has already sired two daughters at the park. Zuri, born in 2021, moved to Bellewaerde in Belgium in 2024, while Masika, born in 2023, was transferred to Zoo du Bassin d’Arcachon in France on September 10, 2026.
PoléPolé, meanwhile, was born on May 10, 2021 at WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen in the Netherlands and has lived at Pairi Daiza for three years.
The departures of Zuri and Masika and Kali’s arrival are therefore different stages of the same coordinated population-management process. At European level, these transfers take into account the age, sex and kinship of each animal, as well as the needs of the overall population and the circumstances at individual zoological institutions.
A gradual introduction to the other giraffes
After arriving late on Tuesday, Kali spent her first night alone in an enclosure within the indoor giraffe quarters, giving her time to recover from the journey while keepers began observing her behaviour.
On Wednesday morning she was introduced to PoléPolé under the supervision of the zoological team. Her introduction to Oliver will take place at a later stage.
During her first days at Pairi Daiza, keepers will monitor how Kali explores the new environment, interacts with PoléPolé and develops her daily habits and preferences. These observations will determine how and when the next stages of her integration take place.
Her keepers in Denmark described her as curious and gentle. The Pairi Daiza team will now observe her behaviour before deciding on the most appropriate time and circumstances for her first meeting with Oliver.
Visitors can already see Kali in her indoor enclosure through the porthole of the Mersus Emergo boat.
