Belfast Zoo has revealed its latest addition, a baby vicuna, which was born during Storm Arwen.
The fluffy little new addition arrived on Friday 26 November and has since been exploring its new home under the close eye of mum and dad, Áine and Ozark.
The now three-week-old was born overnight during the storm, with zookeepers making the wonderful discovery the following morning.
The gender of the baby is currently unknown but zoo keepers are hopeful that they will be able to confirm this in the coming weeks.
Vicuñas are the smallest members of the camel family.
They were once held in high regard by the ancient Inca population but, after South America was conquered by Spain, uncontrolled hunting for wool and meat almost destroyed the species.
Strict protection laws have helped the animals to recover but they are still dependent on conservation measures, such as zoo breeding programmes.
Zoo Curator, Julie Mansell, said “We were delighted to find the baby cosied up with the rest of the family safe inside the den.
“They are really beautiful, gentle creatures that were once at risk of extinction due to hunting for their wool and meat. Áine is an excellent mother and the baby is looking strong and well.”
Belfast Zoo has successfully bred this species for many years, in their mountain top habitat with stunning views across Belfast Lough.
In October, the zoo celebrated the arrival of a new baby gorilla.
Arriving in the early hours of October 8, the Western lowland gorilla was born to mother Kamili and father Gugas.
Newborn gorillas cling to their mother’s stomach for the first few months and so it will be a while yet before the gender can be determined and a name chosen.
