Dudley Zoo's male giraffe is looking for love

He is tall and handsome and Dudley Zoo giraffe Kubwa is looking forward to some female company.

Kubwa who stands 17 feet high is alone in the paddock following the sudden deaths of three female giraffes Clementine in May, Kora in June and Keyah who died last month.

Another giraffe Sophie was transferred to Blair Drummond Safari Park, Stirling, in June.

Now staff at male giraffes after beiDudley Zoo hope to acquire two new feng left "heartbroken" over the deaths.

Kubwa is a nine-year-old Rothschild giraffe who joined the collection in April after being transferred from South Lakes Wild Animal Park as part of international efforts to conserve the endangered species. Deputy curator Richard Brown, aged 30, said: "He is a handsome lad and a big softy and has settled in really well.

"He was out in the paddock within three days of his arrival.

"He is very popular with visitors who can get really close to him and he is definitely not camera shy."

As well as being fed twice a day on apples and carrots Kubwa enjoys snacking on the lucerne plant. Kubwa was born at Arnhem Zoo in Holland and weighs around 2,000lbs.

At birth giraffes are already six feet high and are on their feet within 20 minutes of being born. Following the deaths of Kora and her two daughters, bosses brought in an international veterinary surgeon to investigate but found nothing conclusive.

The zoo has bred giraffes since it opened in 1937.

Meanwhile the zoo is celebrating British Food Fortnight which runs until October 3 by funding a local farming venture to supply foodstuffs for the rare giraffe. It has set up a partnership with Staffordshire farmer Ian Sadler, aged 47, of Hill Farm, Church Hill, Kinver to grow lucerne.

Head of media and communications, Jill Hitchman, said: "Lucerne is a legume, high in protein and particularly suited to a giraffe's digestive system, but a crop which takes time to establish."