Keeping warm

It may be cold outside but for our tower of Giraffes, it’s positively balmy inside their home.

We have has introduced state-of-the-art technology to ensure the temperatures inside the Safari Park house are kept an even 22’C.

The Hitachi Building Management System means keepers can monitor and change temperatures remotely 24 hours a day and receive alerts if there’s a sudden drop.

“Giraffes are native to the savannahs of Africa so it has always been really important that we keep them warm during the English winters,” says Head of Animal Operations Darren Beasley.

“We have switched from traditional heating to a system which is able to achieve an even temperature and thermal imaging helps identify any cold spots.”

James Dare, Head of Facilities, said: “It uses an air sourced heat pumps and utilises low cost energy so is really efficient and sustainable.”

The giraffes are kept in a paddock close to their home during the winter months but will be take into the East Africa reserve at the Safari Park as soon as temperatures rise permanently in the spring.