Visitors to Mogo Zoo witnessed a rare event on Sunday when the zoo's first baby giraffe was born.
The female calf was born at 2.20pm to first-time mum Shani after a gestation period of more than 400 days and a three-hour labour.
The birth happened in full view of hundreds of zoo visitors who were thrilled when the calf attempted to take its first awkward steps within 30 minutes of being born.
The calf is only the 12th pure-bred Rothschild giraffe born in the Australasian region in more than 20 years.
Onlookers also witnessed Shani form an immediate bond with the infant.
Keeper Sophie Miller said the arrival was important for Mogo Zoo and its participation in a global breeding program for the Rothschild giraffe, the second most endangered giraffe in the world.
Ms Miller said the species was also known as the Baringo giraffe, and inhabited protected areas within Kenya and northern Uganda.
There are only about 300 left in the world.
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