The River Club boutique lodge, 18km from Livingstone in Zambia and the Victoria Falls, has welcomed three new giraffes. The lodge also has plans to work with the global Giraffe Conservation Foundation to help fund giraffe conservation across Africa.

Originating from a game farm in Choma, southern Zambia, Geraldine, Juju and Joshua arrived in December to a holding boma set on 26ha of privately owned land overlooking the Zambezi River.

“We are thrilled to welcome the three youngsters to The River Club. It has been a personal dream for years to have giraffe on the property, along with other smaller animals such as bushbuck (already here) and impala,” says Peter Jones, The River Club Owner.

The three youngsters will remain in the boma until later this month, allowing them time to acclimatise to everyday life at the lodge and, once released, will have freedom to roam around the area.

“We would like guests to better understand this mammal, so often seen during their travels but not fully understood, and also to learn of the danger they are currently facing,” Jones adds.

Giraffe numbers have plummeted by 40% in the last three decades, and fewer than 100 000 remain today. Habitat loss through expanding agriculture, human-wildlife conflict, civil unrest and poaching for their meat, pelts, and tails are among the primary reasons for the decline. To combat this, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation has been working to save the African giraffe from extinction for many years.