How do you move giraffes 180 miles to a new home?

Cooling said it was a “straightforward journey” but a lot of training took place before the operation.

“The animals need to be trained to be safely loaded, they have to willingly want to go into the back of a trailer, to be transported down,” the expert said.

“So, when it comes to the day, the majority of their routine is normal for them.”

Twycross Zoo said keepers worked “extremely hard” to train animals for veterinary checks and transportation through voluntary positive reinforcement training.

A spokesperson explained animals were offered rewards as part of the training – usually food-based – and they always had the chance to walk away and not partake.

They added using the training helped the animals get used to the behaviour, noises, and what to expect on the day of a move.

“It’s completely up to them when the time comes to walk into the trailer.

“It takes a lot of patience and perseverance from the team, but the successful move is a huge sign of their hard work and is very rewarding,” they added.