WATCH: Second baby giraffe born at West Midland Safari Park six-weeks after his brother
CCTV has caught the moment a baby giraffe was born at West Midland Safari Park, surprising his six-week-old brother who was watching metres away.
The youngster arrived with a bit of a bump in the giraffe house on October 25 at 2.15pm after his mum, 11-year-old Akacia, went into labour.
They were spotted by guests and were picked up on the safari park's CCTV camera at the moment of the birth of the vulnerable Rothschild giraffe.
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 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 and £22.00 for concessions.
Children under the age of three are free. Adventure Theme Park rides are not open during the winter season.
For further information, visit wmsp.co.uk.
