THE Christmas period saw the birth of a very special new arrival at Flamingo Land - a baby giraffe.

The Rothschild’s giraffe calf was born at the park during the festive period and is already up and about.

A spokesperson for the Kirby Misperton-based zoo said that both the mother and calf are doing well and everyone is delighted with the new arrival.

Ross Snipp, zoo manager, said: “This is wonderful news and the most perfect Christmas present we could have hoped for.

“Our family of Rothschild’s giraffes continues to go from strength to strength and we are looking forward to starting the New Year with a new addition to the group.”

The calf, which has not officially been sexed or named yet, took its first faltering steps within an hour or so of being born. Newborn giraffes may look tiny next to their mums but are around 6ft tall when they are born.

Rothschild’s giraffe is one of the most endangered distinct populations of giraffe, with just 1669 individuals estimated in the wild in 2016.