Benito the giraffe moved away from extreme weather at Mexico's border

Benito the giraffe is being moved from Mexico's northern border to a conservation park, following a campaign by animal activists concerned for his welfare.

Environmental groups voiced strong complaints about conditions faced by Benito at the city-run Central Park zoo in Ciudad Juarez, where weather in the summer is brutally hot and temperatures plunge during the winter.

The giraffe was on Monday airlifted from the zoo, and set off on a 1,200-mile journey to his new home at a conservation park in central Mexico.

A crane carefully lifted a container holding the giraffe onto a truck, while local fans gathered to say goodbye to him, with some activists shouting: "We love you, Benito."

His transfer came as a cold front was due to hit the Ciudad Juarez area, which lies near the US border, around seven miles from El Paso, Texas.

The area is subject to extreme weather conditions, but the African Safari park in Puebla, for which Benito is bound, has a climate closer to his natural habitat and is already a home to other giraffes.

His journey to his new home will take around 50 hours by road.

Visitors travel through the African Safari park in all-terrain vehicles to observe animals as if they were on safari.

He was on Monday being moved in a container, more than 16.5ft high, which was specially designed for Benito.

The giraffe was allowed to become familiar with it during the weekend, said Frank Carlos Camacho, the director of the park.

The animal's head sticks up through the top of the big wooden and metal box, but a frame allows a tarp to cover him and protect him from the elements, as well as from noise and the sight of landscape speeding by.

Mr Camacho said in a video posted on social media: "The giraffe has huge, huge eyes and gains height to be able to look for predators in the savannah and we have to inhibit that so that it does not have any source of stress."

Inside the container is straw, alfalfa, water and vegetables, and electronic equipment will monitor the temperature and allow technicians to talk to the animal.

Outside, Benito will be guarded by a convoy of vehicles with officers from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection and the National Guard.

"He's going to be calm, he's going to travel super well. We've done this many times," Mr Camacho said.