A great week at Chester Zoo just got even better with the arrival of a delightful baby giraffe.

CCTV in the Rothschild giraffe house captured the little one clumsily clambering to its feet minutes after being born.

The zoo posted on social media to say the newborn had been delivered safely by eight-year-old mum Orla at about 3pm on Monday (April 3).

Keepers had already welcomed a rare Bornean orangutan on Sunday.

It is another massive boost to their Rothschild giraffe herd, with the species highly endangered in the wild.

First pictures of the baby giraffe born at Chester Zoo on March 3

Giraffe team manager Sarah Roffe said: "Orla's an experienced mum and a few hours later she delivered the calf safely onto soft straw as the rest of the herd, including her other young Kidepo and Millie, looked on.

"That whole process, from a calf being born to it taking its very first steps, is an incredibly special thing to see.



“Those long legs take a little bit of getting used to but the new calf is doing ever so well, as is mum.

"She’s an excellent parent and is doing a fantastic job of nursing her new arrival."

Chester Zoo's latest arrival pictured with their mum Orla

The zoo has not yet revealed the sex of the calf.

But it does mean youngster Murchison, who was born on Boxing Day, is no longer the youngest in the group.

Dad Meru and Orla's two other young, Kidepo and Millie, were able to watch on as the 15-month pregnancy came to and end.

Conservationists at the zoo hope both arrivals will help to throw a spotlight on the plight of the species and the different threats it faces in the wild.

Recent estimates suggest less than 1,600 individual Rothschilds remain, primarily as a result of poaching and habitat loss and they are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the last 45 years the population in Kidepo Valley National Park (KVNP) in Uganda has reduced by over 90%. They are also known as the baringo or Ugandan giraffe.

The birth of a giraffe at Chester Zoo was captured on CCTV

Mammals curator Tim Rowlands said: “Despite ongoing conservation efforts, the species is really struggling to bounce back as the constant threat of habitat loss continues to push the last remaining population ever closer to extinction.



“Right now the zoo is working hard out in Africa on a conservation action plan to ensure that populations don’t fall to an even more critical level."

"We’ve got to stand tall for these amazing animals.”

For more information about Chester Zoo visit their website here .

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