Dalton zoo boss pledges to continue giraffe conservation project

Over the past 30 years, the population of giraffes has dropped by 40 per cent and they are now classified as "vulnerable" to extinction on the latest Red List of Threatened Species.

However, David Gill, who founded South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton in 1994, has vowed to continue to help the world's tallest mammals after working in Niger since 2005 to safeguard their future.

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The project has seen Gill work with French zoo, Doue la Fontaine, and his conservation partner Pierre Gay in what he has called the "most successful large mammal recovery programme in the world over the past 11 years," after the giraffe population in Niger rose from 40 to 450.

Mr Gill said: "We are very proud to support and manage the project with our partners and are probably the most active giraffe conservation zoo in Europe with Doue la Fontaine.

"This is a top class project with high level support from senior government in Niger."

In return for protecting Giraffes in Niger, the project has provided fresh water wells to more than 40,000 people and also gives micro credits of cash to villagers to help them set up small businesses.

Mr Gill added: "We provide and facilitate medical and dental care for the population and have provided expertise and education on utilising the few resources they have effectively.

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"Unfortunately we could not visit the region in the past few years due to a high risk of capture and death from Islamic State who have a presence there now.

"Each year I have provided from the zoo profits half of the full costs of the project around £18,000 towards the staff and protection."

The Dalton zoo has eight giraffes, including four of the rare West African variety which were conserved through Mr Gill's project.