A THREE-year-old Rothschild’s giraffe has arrived at his new home at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm.

Ronan, who was born at Belfast Zoo, has joined nine-year-old male Kito and six-year-old female Eller at the Wraxall zoo farm.

Chris Wilkinson, zoo curator at Noah’s Ark, said: “Increasing the size of the herd will have a positive impact on all three individuals and will create an interesting dynamic for Ronan as he matures.

"Each Rothschild giraffe has completely unique patterns. Ronan is easy to identify within the tower at Noah’s Ark as he has more of a cream colour between his patches compared to Kito and Eller, who are much darker and more orange in colouration.”

Jayne James, lead Africa keeper at Noah’s Ark, added: “We were delighted to welcome Ronan on December 9…just in time for Christmas!

"We’re very excited to have a new member of the family, and we are looking forward to learning more about Ronan’s personality as he settles in.”

Larry Bush, managing director at Noah’s Ark, concluded: “We pride ourselves as a zoo in educating visitors on the natural wonders of the planet and the importance of conserving species and habitats for generations to come.

"Giraffes have a lot to teach us and Ronan, Kito and Eller act as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. We are so pleased to have Ronan join us for the next chapters of his life and are looking forward to watching him grow and develop.”

Rothschild’s giraffes are classified as endangered on the ICUN Red List. It is estimated that only 2,500 remain in the wild due to poaching and habitat loss.

25 years ago, dairy farmers Anthony and Christina Bush opened the zoo's gates to the public, encouraging their first visitors to take part in a variety of fun farm activities like bottle feeding lambs, tractor rides and playing in the straw den.

As the farm gained more popularity, they added more species to their collection, including rhinos, giraffes, lions, spectacled bears and African elephants, taking advantage of their 100 acres of countryside to create large enclosures.

Staff from the zoo also make 20,000 school visits each year, as well as undertaking outreach visits to schools, care homes and holiday clubs to educate people on the importance of conservation.