June 2007
A little miracle!
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Imogen, a Rothschild giraffe and her new baby boy |
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A giraffe that nearly died during an emergency caesarean section has delighted keepers at Longleat Safari Park by giving birth naturally.
Eleven-year-old Imogen, a Rothschild giraffe, gave birth to a strapping five foot baby boy earlier this month after an anxious 15-month pregnancy.
Two years ago she underwent groundbreaking emergency surgery in a desperate bid to save her life following severe complications in her first pregnancy.
She is believed to be the first giraffe to have undergone such an operation and her brave battle and subsequent recovery captivated millions of viewers on the BBC documentary series Animal Park.
Head keeper, Keith Harris, said: “This little boy is an absolute miracle. Not only in that his mum survived the emergency caesarean but also that she then got pregnant again.
“Once we realised she was pregnant we began monitoring her extremely closely to ensure that all was going okay, but she’s coped brilliantly and is now showing all the signs of being a fantastically attentive mum.”
“She’s obviously one for surprises though as to end it all, she delivered her calf on her own in the middle of the night. The keepers arrived very early one morning to discover she had given birth naturally with no problems and her calf was feeding happily.
“He’s a little on the short side for baby giraffes but apart from that he’s fit and healthy, in fact they’re both doing so well that we’ve already returned them to the main herd,” added Keith.
Longleat has one of the most successful breeding groups for giraffes in the UK. Last year they celebrated the arrival of their hundredth captive-bred baby and Imogen herself was born at the award-winning safari park back in 1996.
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BBC
Animal Park
