Keepers at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of a rare Rothschild’s giraffe, the second to be born at the zoo in the space of just six months.
The arrival of the five-foot-tall youngster is proving cause for great celebration at the zoo as Rothschild’s are one of the world’s most endangered subspecies of giraffe, with recent estimates suggesting less than 1,100 are left in the wild.
The leggy newcomer, who was born to mum Dagmar and dad Meru, follows hot on the hooves of Zahra who arrived just before Christmas last year.
Dagmar gave birth to the zoo’s latest arrival at 13:05 on Sunday afternoon and her new charge was up on its feet and seen suckling soon after.
The news has come as a boost to the species with recent estimates suggest less than 1,100 Rothschild’s are left in the wild – making them one of the world’s most endangered subspecies of giraffe.
Curator of mammals at Chester Zoo, Tim Rowlands, said:
“We’ve had two giraffe calves born in quick succession so it’s rather like seeing double!
But with Rothschild’s giraffe numbers declining in the wild at an alarming rate, we really hope our not-so-little new arrival draws some much needed attention to the species. These animals are under real threat from a massive upsurge in poaching for their meat and are of high conservation priority – indeed the need for a concerted conservation effort has never been more urgent.
