Chester Zoo has welcomed a new arrival with the birth of a rare calf.
The world's tallest mammal, a rare Rothschild's giraffe, has been born with the special moment captured live on CCTV cameras. Chester Zoo's newcomer arrived into the world to new mum Orla at 11.30pm on Tuesday, March 12.
The calf fell six feet onto a bed of soft straw following a 472 day pregnancy and a labour lasting more than three hours. Zookeepers are yet to determine if the three-day old is male or female and have said the calf already weighs more than 70kg and stands at 6 foot tall – but will grow to be more than 18 foot tall and weigh 1,000kg.
Liverpool's immersive Van Gogh experience extends its stay after selling out
Alton Towers makes major change to welcome 'heart-pounding' ride
Tens of thousands of Rothschild’s giraffes were once found in Kenya, Uganda and Sudan, however their population has suffered a 90% decline in recent years as a direct result of poaching and habitat loss. With just 2,500 estimated to remain across the whole of Africa, and the last major stronghold now in Kenya and Uganda, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the species as vulnerable - which means it faces a high chance of becoming extinct in the future.
Rosie Owen, who is a zookeeper on the giraffe team and was one of the first to see the new arrival, said: "So far mum and baby are doing really well and, at just two days old, they’re spending some quiet time getting to know one another. Orla is an experienced mum, and so we’re seeing all the right signs from her, she’s very nurturing and allows her little one suckle often while giving them little nudges of encouragement – especially as her calf is a little unsteady on its long
Read on liverpoolecho.co.uk