New arrivals for Dublin Zoo

Six African hunting dog pups and a giraffe calf formally introduced their special Christmas arrivals to the public today.

Born on December 1 at 5ft 2” to mother Hailey, the calf is said to be thriving.

Dublin Zoo's Helen Clarke commented: “We knew that mother Hailey was going into labour in the morning so we stayed by her side.

“An hour and a half later the female calf was born. Hailey’s maternal instincts kicked in instantly, as she cleaned her lovingly. The newborn is very advanced having stood within 20 minutes of her birth!”

Mother and calf stayed side by side for the first three days to allow them to bond and since then the pair have been successfully integrated with the rest of the herd. The Dublin Zoo team has not yet named the calf, but will be asking for suggestions in the coming weeks.

Two months ago, keepers at the Zoo were overjoyed when one of the female hunting dogs gave birth to six pups.

“We are delighted to welcome these young pups,” said Clarke.

“African hunting dogs are amongst the most endangered animals in the world, so this birth is of great importance to us.

“The litter will stay with the adults for about two years, in which time, we would hope that another litter will be born so that they can learn from the parents how to look after their own litter in the future.”

Visitors to Dublin Zoo can see both the African hunting dog pups and the giraffe calf from today in the African Plains at Dublin Zoo.

Dublin Zoo is open everyday over the Christmas period apart from Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day.