Drygate Brewing Co has developed a 4% ABV alcoholic ginger beer — Gingeraffe — which supports giraffe conservation.
Ten pence from the sale of every 330ml can will be donated to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
To mark its release, Drygate and the charity have released an image of a grisly new bar called Giraffic Park, to shine a light on the bleak outlook for these majestic animals.
The bar is decorated with giraffe skeletons, proud hunting trophies, screens playing historic footage of the animals, and relics of a species that has already declined in numbers by almost 30% in the last three decades. Guests will enjoy drinks served in giraffe skulls, sitting on furniture adorned by their precious hides.
No entry: Giraffc Park sends out a warning for the future
But the makers are asking the public not to come to this new venue. They want then to help keep it closed instead. That’s because this grisly pub is scheduled to open in 2050, when many conservationists predict that wild giraffes will be extinct. In fewer than 30 years, skeletons, hides, and old images in an attraction like this may be as close as anyone will get to the majestic animals ever again.
There are now fewer giraffes in the wild than African elephants (they are outnumbered four to one). They are already extinct in at least seven African countries and continue to be threatened by issues including climate change, illegal hunting.
And yet, the gentle giants are not offered the same protection as other threatened animals. Westminster has yet to close a loophole on the importation of hunting trophies, despite long-standing promises to.
The launch of Giraffic Park hopes to challenge that by raising awareness and promoting action. Real drinks can be ordered from the imaginary bar now, with profits being donated to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in Namibia to help support their efforts in changing the future.
Emily Gray, Gingeraffe brand manager, said: “Despite how magnificent and gentle giraffes are, their extinction has crept up on the world — most people still don’t realise that they are in such danger. The reality is that they are under continual threat from people as well as the impact of climate change, and we can’t afford to be complacent about their future any longer.
“We have giraffe conservation at our very core — we became a committed partner of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation before we’d even brewed our amazing fiery ginger beer — but we were determined to make sure the issue got noticed. Which is why we decided to launch a pub that no-one wants to actually go to, ever.”
• Orders can be made from today at www.girafficpark.pub with 100% of profits from the pre-sale donated to the GCF, while also giving people the option to symbolically adopt a giraffe of their own.
