Visitors to Perth Zoo today celebrated Kamili the giraffe’s first birthday with the opening of a newly upgraded African savannah tower.

The popular visitor attraction, which overlooks the giraffe exhibit, was recently rebuilt and opened as a gift to the people of Perth to acknowledge Kamili’s birthday.

The improved tower takes visitors behind the scenes to view the world from a giraffe’s height, and hear how Perth Zoo is helping conserve this majestic species.

Giraffe are facing unprecedented pressures in the wild, reinforcing why zoo breeding programs, like the one Perth Zoo is involved with for giraffe, are vitally important.

Three of the nine giraffe subspecies are now considered 'Critically Endangered' or 'Endangered'. Poaching, game hunting and habitat loss continue to be major threats.

Perth Zoo are experts at breeding giraffe. The WA genes are strongly represented across global zoo populations.

When older, Kamili will move to another zoo and play a vital role in the cooperative breeding program which safeguards her species against extinction.

Comments attributed to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson:

“The new encounter tower brings Zoo visitors closer to the giraffe than ever before. It is hoped the improved attraction will help educate people about these amazing animals.

Wild giraffe have had a 40 per cent decline in population over the past 30 years. This is why the work Perth Zoo does is so important.

“Every giraffe born, like Kamili, is cause for celebration, and keeps her species one step further away from extinction.

“Perth Zoo is focussed on breeding more giraffe in the future. We’d like to see Ellie, who arrived from Queensland in 2017, fall pregnant and introduce an important new bloodline to the region.”