Watch baby giraffe slowly gets to his feet after being born

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By Adam Dutton via SWNS

Adorable footage shows a 6-foot-tall baby giraffe struggling to get to his feet after being born.

Proud mum Arusha gave birth to the baby boy, named Mtembei, at West Midlands Safari Park.

Keepers set up a CCTV to monitor pregnant Arusha and she went into labor in the early hours of last Wednesday (29/5).

Amazing footage captured the moment the baby was born before struggling several times to get to his feet.

Arusha, a Rothschild’s giraffe, was given support by fellow female Akacia.

The giraffe calf is one of four new arrivals in just over a fortnight following the birth of two endangered barasingha fawns.

A blesbok calf was also born on June 1 – the first in the park’s history.

Deputy Head Keeper of Ungulates Ian Nock said: “On the morning of May 29, the keepers and I were all extremely delighted to see that Arusha, our 12-year-old Rothschild’s giraffe, had given birth.

“Arusha is a very attentive mother, and both are doing perfectly.

“Once the calf is ready, we shall start introducing mother and calf to the rest of the herd, including dad, Rufus and brother, Kingsley.

“This important birth increases our herd to 11. It’s definitely been something of a baby boom.

“This is her fourth calf and incredibly important for giraffe conservation.”

Giraffes are classed as “vulnerable” with their numbers steadily declining across Africa, due to poaching and habitat loss.

All the babies born this year will have names that start with the letter ‘M’, so the giraffe calf has been named Mtembei, which means ‘he who roams’.

 

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