Thousands see giraffe give birth at Fota Wildlife Park

Visitors to Fota Wildlife Park got more than just the sun on Friday as the park unveiled not one but two baby giraffes, the second one coming as a surprise to everyone as mother Sapphire gave birth in front of a huge crowd just before 4pm.

The first baby a female calf was born on 21 July to Mother Bláithín and Father Walda and having spent the last three weeks under the watchful eye of Fota Wildlife Park staff it made its debut in the African Savannah on Friday. However the spotlight on the yet to be named calf shifted to the legs of another baby coming out of mother Sapphire around 3pm and born in front a massive crowd including father Tadgh within the hour.

Pictures and comments of the birth were put up almost instantly on Twitter and it came on one of the busiest days of the year for the park with over 4,100 visitors.

The two babies are yet to be named and Fota Wildlife Park will be asking for suggestions via their Facebook page. The youngest baby will be monitored closely in the coming days and maybe kept indoors until it is very steady on its feet.

Sapphire and Blaithin had carried the little giraffe for an incredible 15 months and like all giraffe mothers gave birth to him whilst standing. This meant that the first experience he had was a 6ft drop to the ground.