AssetID: 55183041
Headline: RAW VIDEO (no sound): CCTV captures the moment a baby giraffe is born at U.K. safari park
Caption: WORDS BYLINE: Hayley Chamberlain**VIDEO AVAILABLE. CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE.** Keepers at a U.K. zoo are celebrating the birth of a baby giraffe, with the special moment being caught on CCTV. The leggy youngster was born in the warmth of the giraffe house at West Midlands Safari Park at 6:30 am on Wednesday, 8 October, to mum, 14-year-old Akacia. The moment the calf took its first steps was also captured on camera 40 minutes later, followed by its first feed and interactions with mum and adult female, Bwindi, who was with Akacia throughout the experience. A few days later, keepers and the veterinary team did a quick health check and were delighted to discover that the calf is a girl. Head Keeper of Ungulates, Lisa Watkins, said, “The team at West Midlands Safari Park were delighted to see that a healthy, female giraffe calf had been born on Wednesday morning. Akacia is an experienced mother and is currently settling and bonding with the newborn in the warmth of the house. The pregnancy and birth were straightforward, and the calf is thriving. “All animals born this year at the Park have names beginning with the letter ‘N’, so we have chosen ‘Namara’, meaning sunshine. Giraffes in the wild are under threat, so every birth is really important to the population. We hope that guests will be able to glimpse her soon, as she takes her first steps into the outdoor giraffe yard.” Giraffe as a species hit headlines recently, as scientists used to think that there was just one species of giraffe, but genetic evidence has proved that there are four distinct species. The giraffes at the Park have been reclassified as ‘Northern giraffe’, meaning that their wild counterparts are currently facing severe threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, climate change and effects from political unrest in the areas they live. Namara is the latest success for the giraffe EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme), which supports collaborative breeding efforts between European zoos and wildlife parks to conserve endangered species. The next steps for Namara will be for her to be introduced to the rest of the herd, including older siblings, Emali and Kris, half-brother Kingsley and dad, Rufus. Keepers then hope that she will be out and about with the rest of the herd on the Safari Drive, weather dependent, in the next few weeks.
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