Dudley Zoo’s 22-year-old male giraffe has passed away after being treated for a long-term health condition.

Kubwa had been at the Castle Hill attraction for almost 13 years and was one of the oldest male giraffes in a UK zoo collection.

Everyone at the Zoo is understandably saddened at the loss of one of the site’s biggest characters. A spokesperson said:

“[Kubwa was] born in the Netherlands in 2000 and joined us from a collection in Cumbria as part of an international breeding programme and during his time here he sired four offspring.

“He was also well-loved by visitors and was one of our most adopted animals, with all his current adopters notified of the news by post.”

His two surviving calves, three-year-old daughter, Kira, remains here at DZC with her mum, Josie, while eight-year-old Kito, who relocated to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol in 2018, has gone on to sire his own offspring.