One of Scotland’s most famous whisky companies has established a new global conservation campaign to help safeguard giraffes.
The Highland Distillery, which creates the iconic Glenmorangie, has confirmed it is pioneering a three-year partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Numbers of the animals have fallen by 30% in the past 30 years and some species of giraffe are now on the critically endangered list.
Although the gentle creatures’ decline has gone largely unnoticed, a recent BBC-PBS documentary on the work of the GCF and its partners, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, has warned of a “silent extinction”.
This new two-pronged approach by the distillers will support efforts to protect giraffes, both in the wild in Africa and provide a habitat for the animal at Edinburgh Zoo, which will play a vital role in their conservation.
The company will boost GCF’s work in Africa, with a special focus on Uganda and provide investment for expert staff, vets and equipment.
Thomas Moradpour, president and chief executive of The Glenmorangie Company, said: “For 175 years, we have created whisky, in stills as high as an adult giraffe.
“Over time, this majestic animal has become a beloved symbol our brand.
“It seems only right that we should channel our passion for this animal into our new global conservation partnership with GCF and RZSS.
“Together, we will work to protect giraffes in the wild and shine a light on their predicament before it is too late.”
Glenmorangie’s backing will help the foundation protect giraffes from habitat loss and poaching, reintroduce the animals back into their natural range in Uganda and focus on areas where the Nubian giraffe has become locally extinct.
The creatures will also be tagged with with GPS satellite tracking devices, so their populations can be effectively monitored, and their movements better understood.
The partnership will also support RZSS in creating a giraffe habitat at Edinburgh Zoo.
Opening this summer, this specially-designed habitat will aid conservation in the wild through genetic research to support GCF’s translocation efforts and raise visitors’ awareness of the threats facing the species.