Glenmorangie celebrates World Giraffe Day by lending a hand at Edinburgh Zoo

She spends most of her time creating delicious spirit for Glenmorangie’s Highland singlemalt Scotch whisky – but for day only Anna Patterson swapped the distillery’s giraffe-high stills to work with the animals at Edinburgh Zoo.

For World Giraffe Day (June 21), Anna, who usually works in Glenmorangie’s still house, spent time at the zoo assisting the giraffes’ keepers.

She learned how to care for the animals, helping to feed them and keep their enclosure in tip-top condition.

Anna also met RZSS WildGenes experts in their laboratory, the UK’s only zoo-based genetics lab, to hear about their work supporting GCF.

For World Giraffe Day (June 21), Anna Patterson, who usually works in Glenmorangie’s still house, spent time at Edinburgh Zoo assisting the giraffes’ keepers.

Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “It is great to see Glenmorangie get stuck in and involved with our team to learn more about our incredible giraffe herd.

“We know from first-hand experience that connecting with nature can inspire and empower people to make change for wildlife and our herd act as great ambassadors for raising awareness for the threats the species face in the wild.

“Anna has been a great help and we look forward to working together again in future to champion giraffe conservation.”

The giraffe has long been a beloved symbol of Glenmorangie. The same height as a giraffe, its stills allow more space for taste and aroma, which is why the Distillery’s spirit is so wonderfully delicate and fruity.

But the giraffe faces serious threats in the wild, from poaching to habitat loss. Numbers have fallen almost 30 per cent in just 30 years, with some populations now critically endangered.

To help the giraffe, in 2020 Glenmorangie forged a pioneering partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) to safeguard wild giraffes in Africa and provide a habitat for the animal at Edinburgh Zoo, which welcomed its new bachelor herd

in 2021.

Glenmorangie is celebrating the giraffe in even more ways this summer.

It is the official presenting partner of Edinburgh Zoo’s Giraffe About Town trail, in which a herd of more than 40 eight-foot-tall giraffe sculptures will be placed around the capital from July 1 to August 29.

Designed to help the city recover following the pandemic, the trail will also raise vital funds for the charity’s wildlife conservation work.

Glenmorangie will also sponsor two of the giraffe models, which will showcase its conservation partnership.

To further mark the trail, Glenmorangie is supporting a series of After Hours events at the zoo, held exclusively for adults.

On six evenings in June, July and August, over-18s can explore the zoo after its usual closing time, enjoying acoustic sets and specially crafted Glenmorangie cocktails.Whisky and cocktail masterclasses will also be held on selected evenings.

Caspar Macrae, Glenmorangie Global Marketing Director, said: “I’m delighted that Anna had the opportunity to meet the herd at Edinburgh Zoo for herself, and learn more about the ground-breaking work of our partners as we marked World Giraffe Day.

“From late-night adult events at the zoo to the eye-catching sculptures planned for the Giraffe About Town trail in Edinburgh, we will continue on our mission toraise awareness of this majestic animal’s plight in every way we can.”