Keepers Witness Birth of First Baby of 2026 - a Giraffe Calf

A rare behind-the-scenes moment unfolded this week as a giraffe gave birth to the first baby of 2026, with keepers there to witness it all.

A baby Northern giraffe was born on Tuesday 20 January, following a 15-month long pregnancy, for mum, 14-year-old Arusha.

Keepers had suspected that the birth was imminent after monitoring Arusha overnight for a few days on CCTV, then on their Tuesday morning checks, they saw signs of labour and witnessed her waters break.

They then quietly went about their normal duties within the giraffe house, keeping an eye on CCTV to monitor Arusha’s progress without disturbing her.

Then at 11:04am, keepers were lucky enough to witness the six-foot youngster make its appearance into the world, landing on the soft, sanded floor the keepers had prepared especially for this moment.

The calf managed to stand and take its wobbly first steps just 40 minutes later and had its first suckle at just an hour old.

Head Keeper of Ungulates, Lisa Watkins, was there to witness the birth and caught the rare moment close-up, on camera.

She said, “The team are over the moon with the safe arrival of a new giraffe calf to mother, Arusha. Arusha is well rehearsed in motherhood (this is her fifth calf) and as we all expected, she is doing a fantastic job so far. It is still early days and with the current weather, both Mum and baby are spending time in the warmth of the house to bond. We hope to share the calf with guests as soon as both are ready and the weather allows.”

Also keeping an eye on the progress of the birth via CCTV was Angela Potter, Head of Wildlife. She added, “Giraffe can give birth at any time, but we usually find it is during the night or early hours of the morning, so it was lovely to witness it in the daylight hours and see that by the end of the day, Arusha was relaxed and the calf was feeding well. Arusha is an experienced mum which meant she took everything in her stride, and she found time to look after her own wellbeing by eating her breakfast straight after the birth, to keep her strength up!”

The giraffe calf is the latest success for the giraffe EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme) which supports collaborative breeding efforts between European zoos and wildlife parks to conserve endangered species.

Northern giraffes are currently listed as ‘vulnerable’ to extinction, due to threats such as habitat loss, poaching and climate change, so every birth is hugely important for the species.

The new calf will have a play mate to grow up with, as its half-sibling, Namara, is just three months older, following her birth in October 2025.

Both calves share the same dad, 15-year-old Rufus and the new baby has several older siblings, including brothers Kingsley and Mtembei and half-siblings, Emali and Kris.

The next steps for the calf will be a quick health check from the Park’s veterinary team, who will determine the baby’s sex, so a name can be chosen.

All animals born at the Park this year, will have names beginning with the letter, ‘O’, so keepers will produce a shortlist of names, and then a favourite will be chosen.

In the coming months (weather dependent), guests may be able to see the calf, with the rest of the herd on the Safari Drive, the African Walking Trail, or the Giraffe Safari Lodges, of which four new lodges are opening next month, on 13 February 2026.