Celebrations As Rare (And Extremely Cute) Baby Giraffe Is Born At Chester Zoo

With their numbers putting them on the endangered species list, the birth of a baby Rothschild giraffe has given Chester Zoo a reason to celebrate.
 
The arrival of the five-foot-tall animal marks the second of the rare breed to be born at the zoo in just six months, after Zahra was born just before Christmas last year.
 
And with only around 1,100 Rothschild giraffes left in the wild, the new addition - born on Sunday afternoon - is a very welcome addition.

Born to mum Dagmar and dad Meru, the as-yet-unnamed youngster is already up and making itself at home.
 
Curator of mammals at Chester Zoo, Tim Rowlands, said: “We’ve had two giraffe calves born in quick succession so it’s rather like seeing double!
 
“But with Rothschild’s giraffe numbers declining in the wild at an alarming rate, we really hope our not-so-little new arrival draws some much needed attention to the species.
 
“These animals are under real threat from a massive upsurge in poaching for their meat and are of high conservation priority – indeed the need for a concerted conservation effort has never been more urgent.”
 
The world with more animals as cute as this in it would be a much better place.