Chester Zoo: Hope for rare giraffe species as calf born in captivity
- Published
The new arrival already measures 6ft (1.8m) and weighs a whopping 72kg (158lbs)
A rare baby giraffe species has been born at Chester Zoo in a boost to a special global breeding programme.
The Rothschild's giraffe, named Stanley, fell on to a bed of straw at the weekend after mother Orla endured a three-hour labour.
The sub-species of giraffe is one of Africa's most at-risk mammals, with fewer than 2,500 in the wild.
Giraffe team manager Sarah Roffe said Stanley "arrived into the world with quite the bump".
"It caused the rest of the herd to jump to their feet," she added.
"The excitement of a new calf suddenly appearing shortly before 3am certainly gave everyone quite the awakening."
Zoo staff were delighted because previous births have not been captured on camera
Keepers chose the name of Stanley after Mount Stanley, the tallest mountain in Uganda, where the zoo's conservationists are working to help giraffe populations.
The new arrival already measures 6ft (1.8m) and weighs a whopping 72kg (158lbs).
He becomes a sibling to Orla's five other offspring.
Rothschild's giraffes are named after zoologist Lord Walter Rothschild, founder of the National History Museum in Tring, Hertfordshire.
They are one of the smallest populations of the nine sub-species of giraffe and are identified by their broader dividing white lines.
Roughly one-third of the surviving population live in zoos where breeding programmes are under way.
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- Published18 July 2022
