Perth Zoo welcomes new giraffe calf

PERTH Zoo has welcomed a beautiful new male giraffe calf.

Although the male is in the ‘giraffe nursery’ and people can’t see the little guy just yet, the Zoo has released several photos and videos of him.

The calf was born to mother Kitoto at 3:04pm yesterday afternoon after a two-and-half-hour labour.

Mum and bub are bonding well.

Straight after birth, Mum was seen licking and grooming her new calf and he was up standing and testing his wobbly legs after just 20 minutes.

In another great sign, the calf was suckling and feeding from mum within the first hour after birth.

This is the second calf born to Kitoto and our bull, Armani, as part of a coordinated effort by Australian zoos to breed these majestic creatures to help fight extinction.

Giraffe numbers in the wild have plummeted to fewer than 80,000, making the Zoo’s efforts vitally important.

For the next few weeks the giraffe herd will be spending time bonding with their adorable infant, who stands at approximately 169cm in height.

The giraffes may not be as visible as normal in these early days because, like any family, the arrival of a newborn is a big deal and they’ll need some quiet time.