Central SA
Naval Hill welcomes two new residents─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 08:43 Wed, 12 Apr 2023
After losing one of its oldest and most loved giraffes a year ago, Naval Hill has welcomed two new residents.
According to the Friends of Franklin’s Andri Grobbelaar, two female giraffes named Zuri and Kariba were released at the reserve on Tuesday and welcomed as additional animals by Friends of Franklin.
In a statement, Grobbelaar mentioned that acquiring new giraffes has been in the pipeline for three years. She explained that they have been engaging with the Mangaung Metro Municipality as they got approval from Parks ten years ago to release the giraffes at Naval Hill.
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Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Manager at Naval Hill, Rhulani Shivambu, mentioned there hasn’t been any breeding taking place at Naval Hill over the years.
"Friends of Franklin help with the operation and upkeep of the reserve. They approached us about donating two female giraffes and we welcome the addition to the family," stated Shivambu.
ALSO READ: Naval Hill loses a beloved resident
Bloemfontein Courant previously reported that Masabatha, the oldest giraffe cow, fell into a trench on the hill and died. Attempts were made to try and rescue her, but due to her age, these attempts were unsuccessful. Masabatha was the mother of the remaining two giraffe bulls.
