AN endangered giraffe calf has been born at Chester Zoo.

The six-foot tall arrival was born to 12-year-old mum Dagmar at 11.20am on Tuesday, March 5.

Zookeepers have now issued incredible CCTV footage showing the birth as well as his adorable first steps.

The healthy male youngster, yet to be named, was up on his feet and suckling for the first time at around one hour old.

Giraffe team manager at the zoo Sarah Roffe said: £When a giraffe mum drops her calf to the floor it can look a little dramatic – but it’s not such a long drop when the baby is six foot tall.

"Nevertheless, to see the birth and the very first steps of an animal as rare of the Rothschild’s giraffe is an incredibly special thing.

“Dagmar is so far being the model mum. She’s staying close to her calf and letting him suckle, which of course is vital in these early few days.

"The milk is filled with important nutrients like colostrum, which will help the little one to grow and reinforce an inseparable bond between mum and baby.

“This new arrival is a special addition to the international breeding programme for this endangered species, which is working to boost numbers in zoos and safeguard its future.”

Northwich Guardian:

A rare male giraffe calf has been born at Chester Zoo

Highly threatened in the wild, Rothschild's giraffes have suffered a 90% decline in numbers in recent times making them one of the world's most at risk mammals.

Recent estimates suggest that there are fewer than 2,650 remaining across Africa.

Mike Jordan, collections director at the zoo told the Globe: "Giraffes are currently experiencing devastating declines in the wild but experts from Chester are right in the thick of the fight to help to protect Rothschild’s giraffes, one of the rarest subspecies, in Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park.

“The constant threat of habitat loss, along with Africa’s ongoing poaching crisis, continues to put these magnificent animals at risk of extinction.

"There is good news though - our teams have been working to support The Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Uganda Wildlife Authority for a number of years, helping to monitor, track and protect the giraffe population in Kidepo and we’re very happy to report that numbers are slowly increasing.

"It’s an incredible effort by all involved to help prevent extinction.”