A cute young male giraffe arrived at the Chessington World of Adventures (CWOA) Zoo recently as part of conservation efforts aimed to help protect the species.

Two-year-old Khari, which means 'king-like' in Swahili, arrived at the zoo from Whipsnade earlier this month and will stay in Chessington for around two months.

Khari will then be moved onto mainland Europe as part of the European Species Programme, which helps ensure genetic diversity of animals in the care of zoo teams across the continent.

This is key as reticulated giraffes like Khari are officially classed as "endangered" meaning their survival as a species is under threat of human poaching, the climate crisis and other concerning threats.

Surrey Comet: Khali settling in at CWO zooKhali settling in at CWO zoo

Sam Whitbread, Animal Collections Manager at Chessington World of Adventures said: "Since his arrival earlier in the month, our team have absolutely loved getting to know Khari and making sure he is receiving the highest standard of animal care whilst staying with us.

"Our team look forward to working closely with ZSL Whipsnade Zoo as we look ahead to planning his move later in the year and supporting this hugely important programme."

According to the People's Trust for Endangered Species, reticulated giraffes have suffered an 80 per cent decline in numbers since the 1960s.

They are one of countless species facing extinction amid the sixth mass extinction event currently in progress worldwide according to scientists. It could see one in three species wiped out in the next 50 years. 

This is being driven by human activity through wildlife trading, habitat destruction and pollution, and is happening faster than previously expected according to recent studies.