Newborn giraffe arrives with a bump at zoo
Stanley arrived in the early hours of Saturday, falling 6ft on to a bed of straw as his mother Orla gave birth.
A newborn giraffe is “strong, healthy and very content” after falling 6ft on to a bed of soft straw as his mother gave birth.
The calf, named Stanley after Mount Stanley, the tallest mountain in Uganda, was born at Chester Zoo after a 15-month pregnancy and three-hour labour for his mother, Orla.
Footage showed Stanley’s first wobbly steps and feed, a moment zookeepers said is “vitally important” for the bond between mother and baby.
They were also surprised Stanley was already 6ft tall and weighed a “hefty” 72 kilograms when he was born on Saturday.
“Her calf then arrived into the world with quite the bump, causing the rest of the herd to jump to their feet.
“The excitement of a new calf suddenly appearing shortly before 3am certainly gave everyone quite the awakening.
She added Stanley is “strong, healthy and very content”.