From Denmark to Pairi Daiza: why Kali the giraffe is joining Oliver and PoléPolé.
Kali’s arrival at Pairi Daiza is no coincidence: transfers between European zoos are carefully coordinated, taking into account genetics, age and breeding recommendations.
Rothschild's giraffe Kali was born on 15 February 2024 at Knuthenborg Safaripark (Denmark). On the evening of Tuesday 15 September, she arrived to join the two Rothschild's giraffes already living at Pairi Daiza: PoléPolé and Oliver.
This journey of several hundred kilometres and this new phase in Kali’s life began with a decision taken at European level.
The Rothschild giraffes in European zoos are part of a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP – Ex situ Programme). The programme maintains detailed records of each animal’s ancestry and demographics to manage this population in the long term. Based on this data, it is possible, amongst other things, to determine which animals can form a breeding pair, whilst preserving the genetic diversity of the population as effectively as possible.
Kali is therefore not simply coming to Pairi Daiza because a space happened to be available. The recommendation for her transfer took into account her age, two and a half years old, as well as her genetic background and that of the giraffes already there.
She will live alongside Oliver, a male born on 1 August 2016 at Safari Park Dvůr Králové (Czech Republic) and who has been at Pairi Daiza since 2018. Oliver has already sired two daughters at the Garden of the Worlds: Zuri, born in 2021 and transferred to Bellewaerde (Belgium) in 2024, and Masika, born in 2023 and who left for the Zoo du Bassin d’Arcachon (France) on 10 September 2026.
PoléPolé also lives alongside Oliver. She was born on 10 May 2021 at WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) and has been living at Pairi Daiza for three years.
The departure of Zuri and Masika and the arrival of Kali are therefore not isolated events, but different parts of the same coordinated population-management process. At a European level, these transfers make it possible to manage a population, taking into account the age, sex and kinship ties of each individual, the needs of the population and the situation at each institution.
Kali’s first few days at Pairi Daiza
Kali arrived at Pairi Daiza late on Tuesday and spent her first night alone in an enclosure within her indoor quarters. The keepers gave her time to recover from her journey and began observing her behaviour in this new environment.
Kali was introduced to PoléPolé this morning, under the supervision of the zoological team. The meeting with Oliver will take place later.
During these first few days, the keepers will get to know Kali: how she explores her surroundings, how she reacts to PoléPolé, and her habits and preferences. The next steps in her integration will be tailored to these observations and her behaviour.
Her Danish keepers describe Kali as curious and gentle. The keepers at Pairi Daiza will now get to know her personality on a daily basis and, based on their observations, determine the most suitable time and circumstances to introduce her to Oliver.
Visitors can already observe Kali in her indoor enclosure through the porthole of the boat Mersus Emergo.
Johan Vreys