Having a giraffe! Zoo visitors stunned as rare baby animal born in front of them
ZOO visitors were left stunned when a giraffe began giving birth in front of them.
The baby giraffe takes his first few glances
While births normally happen at night, Sangha, an endangered Rothschild giraffe, shocked zoo keepers when she went into labour at around 14:30.
The calf was delivered safely in front of stunned onlookers and was resting with its mother last night.
Giraffe, Sangha, went into labour unexpectedly
Phil Knowling, a spokesperson for Paignton Zoo, said: "Remote cameras showed the baby feeding from mother overnight.
"This morning keepers are hopeful that the baby is healthy and that Sangha will rear the calf, although it is very early days - we are still in the critical phase."
Having been pregnant for between 400 and 460 days, the mother gave birth standing up, with the fall breaking the umbilical cord.
Unsteady on his feet: Giraffe calf is already standing tall
She chose to give birth in front of visitors in the gallery and a crowd of excited keepers
The birth happened in the middle of a busy half term afternoon at the zoo in Devon.
Calves are typically on their feet within a few hours and can be nearly six feet tall at birth.
Senior Head Keeper of Mammals Matthew Webb said staff let Sangha wander about and find her own place to give birth, rather than shut her in anywhere.
He said: "She chose to give birth in the giraffe house, in front of visitors in the gallery and a crowd of excited keepers."
Father Yoda came from Givskud Zoo, Denmark, in September 2006 while mum Sangha came from Liberec Zoo, in the Czech Republic.
The zoo's other adult female is Janica, who came to Paignton Zoo from Duvr Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic.
The tower - group of giraffes - also includes youngsters Otilie, who was born in September 2012, Joanna, born in January 2014, both to mother Sangha, and Eliska, born to Janica in January this year.
All of the giraffes are Rothschild and classified as Endangered. There is a European Endangered Species Programme for the species.