The Dewsbury Experiment
In January 2024, a giraffe named Clive was placed in a converted multi-storey car park in Dewsbury as part of a pilot programme to assess the suitability of existing urban structures for giraffe housing.
The experiment ran for seven months. It is described in the Project’s final report as ‘informative,’ which the Department accepts is ‘doing a lot of work in that sentence.’
Background
Clive is a 4.7-metre male giraffe who was previously housed at a facility in Rotherham. The facility was adequate but described by the Project Team as ‘lacking in stimulation,’ which Clive conveyed through ‘a general air of underwhelm.’
The Project Steering Group identified Dewsbury as the pilot location for the following reasons:
- the multi-storey car park on Corporation Street had sufficient ceiling height across all levels
- the top floor provided reasonable skylight access and unobstructed views of West Yorkshire
- Dewsbury was selected for what the Project Steering Group described as ‘an appropriate level of local indifference’
The car park was closed to vehicles in late 2023. Kirklees Council confirmed that the closure was ‘unrelated to giraffe-related considerations’ and that the car park had been ‘underused for some time.’
Timeline
January 2024: Clive arrives
Clive was transported to the car park on 8 January 2024. The relocation was carried out overnight to minimise disruption. Clive appeared to find the journey ‘tolerable.’
Initial assessment was positive. Clive appeared content. The car park appeared structurally adequate. The people of Dewsbury appeared unbothered.
The Project Team recorded in their daily log that Clive spent his first afternoon ‘observing the surrounding area from the third floor with what can only be described as a calm, evaluative gaze.’
February 2024: Clive settles in
By February, Clive had established a routine. He spent mornings on the third floor, afternoons on the fourth, and evenings near the skylight on the top level. The Project Team described his behaviour as ‘settled and purposeful.’
Clive discovered he could see over the barriers to the adjacent car park. The Project Team described this as ‘expanding his horizons.’ Clive described it as nothing, because he is a giraffe.
March 2024: The ticket barrier
On 3 March 2024, Clive was observed operating the ticket barrier at the car park exit. The mechanism is not complex. Clive figured it out in approximately 4 minutes.
The Project Team have described this as ‘concerning but impressive.’
CCTV footage shows Clive approaching the barrier, extending his neck to the intercom panel, and activating the mechanism using what appears to be a combination of a tongue press and a deliberate lean. The barrier opened. Clive did not leave. He returned to the third floor. The Project Team believes he was ‘testing the system.’
April 2024: First nocturnal excursion
On 12 April 2024, Clive let himself out of the car park at approximately 11pm. He was not discovered missing until 6am the following morning.
Clive was found in the Tesco car park in Batley at 3am by a member of the public who the Department describes as ‘remarkably composed under the circumstances.’
Clive appeared content but uncooperative. He was escorted back to the car park by two members of the Project Team and a confused security guard from a nearby industrial estate who had ‘not been briefed for this scenario.’
May 2024: Second nocturnal excursion
On 19 May 2024, Clive let himself out again. This time he was tracked via CCTV to the A652, then to a McDonald’s drive-through in Birstall.
Clive had not ordered anything. He appeared to be observing the drive-through process with what the Project Team describes as ‘professional interest.’
The McDonald’s shift manager reported that Clive ‘watched the window for about 20 minutes, then left.’ The shift manager added that Clive ‘didn’t seem impressed.’
June 2024: The barrier is modified
Following the second excursion, the Project Team arranged for the ticket barrier mechanism to be modified. The modification involved raising the activation panel to a height of 3.5 metres and installing a secondary confirmation step that required ‘what the manufacturer described as deliberate, coordinated input.’
Clive bypassed the modification in 2 days.
The Project Team have described Clive’s problem-solving ability as ‘a housing management challenge.’
The barrier manufacturer, Apex Parking Systems Ltd, has since issued a firmware update described as ‘giraffe-resistant.’ The Department considers this ‘an overstatement of the firmware’s capabilities.’
July 2024: Experiment discontinued
On 14 July 2024, the Project Steering Group convened an emergency meeting and voted to discontinue the Dewsbury Experiment. The decision was described as ‘prudent’ rather than ‘reactive.’
Clive has been relocated to a purpose-built facility in Lincolnshire with a higher ticket barrier, reinforced perimeter, and what the Department describes as ‘more stimulating views.’
Legacy
The Dewsbury Experiment yielded several important findings:
- multi-storey car parks are structurally suitable for giraffe housing in terms of ceiling height and floor space
- giraffes should not be given access to ticket barriers under any circumstances
- the people of Dewsbury will not report a loose giraffe unless it directly inconveniences them
- McDonald’s drive-through windows are not designed to accommodate a customer of Clive’s proportions, although the company has confirmed it is ‘looking into the matter’
The ticket barrier manufacturer has issued a firmware update. Kirklees Council has confirmed that the car park will not be reopened to vehicles, citing ‘residual giraffe-related considerations.’
The Project Steering Group has recommended that any future giraffe housing pilot include ‘robust perimeter controls, a dedicated night-time monitoring rota, and realistic expectations about the giraffe’s capacity for problem-solving.’