CCTV has caught the moment a baby giraffe was born at West Midland Safari Park, surprising his six-week-old half-brother who was watching, just metres away.
The leggy youngster arrived with a bump in the giraffe house on 25 October at 2:15pm, after his mum, 11-year-old Akacia, went into labour out on the safari, noticed by some eagle-eyed guests.
Akacia made her way into the comfort and warmth of the giraffe house, where the baby’s older half-brother, Kingsley, and his mum, Arusha were waiting.
The two baby Rothschild’s giraffes share the same dad, 11-year-old Rufus, who became a dad for the sixth time, just six weeks on from the birth of his fifth calf, Kingsley.
Angela Potter, Head of Wildlife, said, “We are so delighted to welcome another giraffe calf into our herd, just six weeks since Kingsley was born, and it is going to be lovely to see the two calves growing up together. Akacia’s best friend Arusha, dam (mother) to Kingsley, remained close by during the birth and even helped to clean and stimulate the new calf.
“After several attempts, he was up on his feet within 50 minutes and was suckling soon after. Rothschild’s giraffes are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), with fewer than 2,500 remaining in East Africa, so each birth is vitally important to raise awareness of the plight of their wild counterparts.”
Now, at nine-days-old, keepers have determined that the baby is another boy and have chosen the name Kris, as all babies born in 2022 have names beginning with ‘K’, so chose this to honour the Park’s Managing Director, Chris Kelly.
Kris and Akacia will be allowed access outside to the giraffe yard this week, then will be slowly introduced to the rest of the herd, including Rufus and Kris’s older sister, six-year-old Emali.
West Midland Safari Park is open on selected dates for its winter season, and the safari is included in the standard admission charge of £25.00 for adults and children aged 3-64 and £22.00 for concessions. Children under the age of three are free. Adventure Theme Park rides are not open during the winter season.
Admission includes a Free Return Code to visit again on selected dates, within six months, only when booking online in advance, without a Tesco voucher.
Further information about West Midland Safari Park is available from the Park’s website www.wmsp.co.uk or by telephone 01299 402114. Find out more on the Safari Park’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WestMidSafari.