Mum Luna welcomes baby giraffe during meteor shower

Luna gave birth during a meteor shower

An endangered giraffe calf has been born just months after the death of her father.

The female reticulated giraffe was born to mother Luna at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire following a 15-month pregnancy.

The calf was born during the recent Leonid meteor shower and zoo members will vote on a name with a suitably celestial theme, with the winner revealed in the coming days.

Her father Bashu, who had to be put down in October after suffering kidney failure, had previously appeared in the popular Netflix drama Heartstopper.

Whipsnade Zoo says there are fewer than 16,000 reticulated giraffes in the wild.

They originate in the grasslands of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya - and newborns stand at about two metres (6.5ft) at birth.

The calf will be named by zoo members in the next few days

Whipsnade Zoo's giraffe herd is now up to five, and includes the calf's siblings Myra and Timba, who are being kept separate from her until she is strong enough to venture outside.

Connor Corrigan, team leader of large hoofstock at Whipsnade Zoo, said: "The calf is happy, healthy, and very energetic.

"She was on her feet within an hour of being born, and has already been putting those long legs to use by going for exploratory runs around the indoor den."

He added: "Luna is a phenomenal mother – this is her fifth calf, and she's very attentive and nurturing."