A rare giraffe calf has been born at a wild animal park – with the birth watched by thousands of people around the world on social media.
With fewer than 2,500 mature Rothschild giraffes left in the wild, staff at the Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve near Hythe in Kent celebrated the birth of a healthy male calf on Thursday.
Proud mother Lehana gave birth to her second calf at the huge 600 acre park and was sired by male, Valentino.
It has been a tense wait for the expert keepers at the reserve as the gestation period for a Rothschild giraffe can last for 15 months.
A thousand people watched a Rothschild giraffe calf being born live on Thursday at the Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve near Hythe in Kent
![Proud mother Lehana gave birth to her second calf at the huge 600 acre park and sired by male, Valentino](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/13/11/4D2E801700000578-5838705-image-m-7_1528887266028.jpg)
![Proud mother Lehana gave birth to her second calf at the huge 600 acre park and sired by male, Valentino](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/13/11/4D2E802700000578-5838705-image-a-8_1528887270747.jpg)
Proud mother Lehana gave birth to her second calf at the huge 600 acre park
The incredible story has been shared globally thanks to a live camera feed straight from the Giraffe House to the Reserve’s Facebook and YouTube pages, providing extraordinary access to this very rare occurrence.
At its peak, more 1,000 people around the world simultaneously tuned in to the live YouTube feed and the amazing birth has now been viewed almost 100,000 times.
Animal lovers were able to watch as, less than an hour after his delivery, the calf took his first tentative steps under the maternal gaze of Lehana.
The calf will join eight other giraffes at the popular Kent Reserve, including five of the Rothschild sub-species.
Another female, Lunar, is also expecting.
![The incredible story has been shared globally thanks to a live camera feed straight from the Giraffe House to the Reserve's Facebook and YouTube pages, providing extraordinary access to this very rare occurrence](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/13/11/4D2E804C00000578-5838705-image-a-9_1528887287023.jpg)
The incredible story has been shared globally thanks to a live camera feed straight from the Giraffe House to the Reserve’s Facebook and YouTube pages, providing extraordinary access to this very rare occurrence
![At its peak, more 1,000 people around the world simultaneously tuned in to the live YouTube feed and the amazing birth has now been viewed almost 100,000 times](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/13/11/4D2E802100000578-5838705-image-a-10_1528887291582.jpg)
At its peak, more 1,000 people around the world simultaneously tuned in to the live YouTube feed and the amazing birth has now been viewed almost 100,000 times
Simon Jeffery, Animal Director said: ‘We are absolutely over the moon to welcome this lovely calf. We’ve all been waiting anxiously for his arrival and managed to capture the ‘first moments’ on our Facebook & YouTube streaming platforms.’
Simon added: ‘We are privileged to be part of such an important breeding programme. Conservation of endangered species is at the core of what we do, and this fabulous little male will have a vital role to play in the future.’
Carl Parker, Head of African Experience said: ‘This is Lehana’s second calf and stands at approximately 6 feet tall already! Although it’s early days, he is suckling well and already starting to explore, under the watchful eyes of his Mum Lehana and Aunt, Lunar.’
Rothschild giraffes are found in Uganda and Kenya and spend up to 75 per cent of the day eating a diet of leaves and bark, with their favourite being acacia trees.
![Animal lovers were able to watch as, less than an hour after his delivery, the calf took his first tentative steps under the maternal gaze of Lehana](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/13/11/4D238DA200000578-5838705-image-a-2_1528886142278.jpg)
Animal lovers were able to watch as, less than an hour after his delivery, the calf took his first tentative steps under the maternal gaze of Lehana
![The calf will join eight other giraffes at the popular Kent Reserve, including five of the Rothschild sub-species](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/13/11/4D238CEA00000578-5838705-image-a-1_1528886130527.jpg)
The calf will join eight other giraffes at the popular Kent Reserve, including five of the Rothschild sub-species