The day CSC met a herd of giraffes

Introducing The Aspinall Foundation Giraffe Collection

If there is one animal we can all collectively say we love in the Cambridge Satchel office, that is giraffes. In fact, mention a giraffe and it’s followed by a Mexican wave of awwww’s.

Therefore, it’s only appropriate that our latest collaboration is with The Aspinall Foundation, launching Monday 30th July. Featuring 8 exclusive satchels bearing the beautiful print of the endangered Rothschild giraffe who call Port Lympne home.

We are donating 20% of every bag sold to the foundation to support their wonderful work, who are committed to conservation through captive breeding, education and reintroduction. The Aspinall Foundation work in some of the world’s most fragile environments to save endangered animals and return them to the wild.

Is that a Cambridge Satchel I see?

As a member of the CSC family I often ask myself “Did that just happen?” during a casual day at work, never more so than last month on a very hot June summers day in the middle of what is essentially a very large field in Kent I find myself, Julie (our founder) and our photographer surrounded by 6 humongous and very inquisitive giraffes.

Girls in the club, dancing around their bags

The Aspinall Foundation kindly gave us VIP access to shoot our collection amongst the 600-acre park that the Rothschild giraffes freely roam. There are 9 Rothschild giraffes at Port Lympne including a new baby calf, aww. Rothschild giraffes are usually found in Uganda and Kenya, they are endangered and sadly there is an estimated population of less than 2500 mature individuals in the wild.

We were told that the giraffes can be quite temperamental and that they may simply shun us in favour of some yummy tree leaves (they spend up to 75% of their day eating), so not to take offense should they not wish to take a selfie.

Is that not the most Instagramable face you ever did see?

There we are, satchels in hand, trekking through the park in a zebra striped Land Rover (we were camouflaging rather well) and we are quiet. Very quiet. Then over the hill, what do we happen to come across but giraffes, not 1, not 2, but 6!

There they are!

What’s more interesting – the Land Rover or the Satchel? Tough choice.

They soon came bounding over (giraffes can run up to 35mph – especially when there are exclusive Cambridge Satchels in sight J ) and were keen to have a nosy in our bags.

What’s in your bag? And, can I eat it?

Watching these majestic animals move around us was simply hypnotising. Did you know that when giraffes walk they move their legs from one side then to the other side, this is unique to giraffes?

You become so transfixed by their beauty and elegant sway and boy do I have eyelash envy now, that you forget just how tall (and strong) they are. The park’s giraffe keeper had to call out to us as at one point as we got a bit too close to Bakora, notorious for being ‘quite the kicker’. Haha!

It’s my satchel now

Another fun fact – like human finger prints no two giraffes have the same coat pattern. It’s fair to say I learnt a lot that day!

We captured some truly incredible shots, and the day went down as officially the best Cambridge Satchel shoot EVER. Port Lympne is an incredible UK safari reserve and we do encourage you to check it out.

Satchel love

We have very much been looking forward to sharing these images with you. We hope you love them as much as we do. Whilst I cannot bring Bakora the giraffe home with me, I do have some fab memories and a 4ft giraffe plushie called Viv that will make do… for now.

Shooting at Port Lympne Hotel

Shooting in the beautiful breakfast room, check out those murals on the wall!

Getting that perfect shot for the ‘Gram

The new Moroccan courtyard. So dreamy!

Back to the wild

About The Aspinall Foundation

Over the past few years alone, The Aspinall Foundation have reintroduced a range of animals back to protected reserves in their native habitats including 8 black rhino, 49 Javan langurs, 9 Javan gibbon, 11 European bison and over 60 western lowland gorillas with many new babies born; a sign of lots of happy animal families!

The Aspinall Foundation mission statement;

• Provide the most natural environment possible for animals in both animal parks and be world leaders in our animal husbandry and breeding programmes.

• To halt the extinction of endangered species in the wild by reintroducing animals and developing sustainable conservation activities
• 80% of the current animal species that are being looked after are endangered with the intention for this number to go up to 100% - on average only 15% of mammals in all Wildlife Parks/Zoos are threatened

Visit Port Lympne

• Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve – the home of the UK’s only authentic African safari experience
• Over 700 animals across 90 species call Port Lympne their home
• Port Lympne Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park are breeding sanctuaries for rare and endangered animals and wherever possible, The Aspinall Foundation aims to send animals born in the parks to protected areas of their natural habitat where they can live free – just as they should be
• The Aspinall Foundation believe in keeping their animals in a way that resembles their natural environment as closely as possible in family groups homed within large enclosures with spaces to shelter and hide, so, just like in the wild, it may take some time to spot certain animals as there are lots of natural foliage and furniture to provide shelter and camouflage
• To fully immerse yourself in the safari experience, you can stay at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve and may even see Giraffe’s from your balcony!
• Down the road a local farm produces fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs for the animals

The Aspinall Foundation donation page: https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/donations/