dingostew.com

Dublin Zoo's latest arrival held her head high as she made her first public appearance.
The baby giraffe was born on November 4 but spent the first few weeks of her life indoors to stop her fragile legs slipping in the snow and ice in the sub-zero temperatures.



The yet unnamed female calf, who stands at just under 2m (6ft 6in) and weighs 40kg (88lb), was born to Maeve.

Helen Clarke-Bennet, team leader of the African Plains, said: "The calf is doing very well and we are delighted to see her first-time mum is being very attentive and is nurturing her newborn with great care.

"When the weather took a turn we had to keep her in from the snow as she is still very delicate and we didn't want to risk her falling on the ice."

Fans and visitors are invited to suggest a name for the calf, based on her African origins, by sending them to Dublin Zoo by post, email or their Facebook page.

She is the first calf born to Maeve, who arrived from Fota Wildlife Park in 2009.

Following a period of adjustment, Maeve successfully bred with bull giraffe Robin and after a 15-month gestation period the new calf was born.

jaysus, imagine bein born in Ireland around now! Especially if you're a native African animal! Hoofs arent made for snow!

Yeah especially coz they've terrible balance when they are small!!