The birth of a “critically endangered” Nubian giraffe this month has been described as a “landmark moment” for Fota Wildlife Park in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork.The calf, who remains unnamed as Fota invites visitors to join a competition in suggesting an Irish-language name for her, “arrived safely” on June 15th to mother Aoife and father Ferdie, originally from the Netherlands but who was brought to Ireland in 2012.Born at about 6ft tall and “standing on all four feet within the first half hour”, she is the ninth member of Fota’s giraffe herd. She is a third-generation female Nubian giraffe born in the park, following her mother Aoife and grandmother Róisín.Fota Wildlife Park is celebrating the birth of a female Nubian giraffe calf, born to mother Aoife and father Ferdie on June 15th. Photograph: Michael O'Sullivan/OSM PHOTO “The birth carries particular significance given the precarious conservation status of the species,” Fota said in a statement, adding there is “less than 4,000 [Nubian giraffes] estimated to remain in their native habitats”.The species suffers from “rapid habitat loss driven by agricultural expansion, combined with poaching, political instability and the growing impacts of climate change”. They graze through the savannahs, woods and grasslands of northeast Africa, with primary natural habitats in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.They are a “distinctive subspecies, easily recognised by distinctive patterns of dark patches on their coat, separated by bright, cream-coloured channels and the absence of markings on their lower legs, a characteristic exclusive to this subspecies,” Fota said. Aidan Rafferty, the lead ranger at the park, said his “team has been eagerly anticipating this arrival for well over a year”, as Nubian giraffe’s pregnancies last nearly 15 months. “Watching those first moments is an incredibly moving experience and a hugely rewarding one for the entire team,” he said. “After the birth, we spent several days keeping a close eye on both mother and calf. When it was clear the little one was strong enough, we began the slow, specialised work of introducing the young female to her new herd,” he added. “Mother and baby are now living side by side in a herd as they would in the wild,” he said, adding this is “a great start to the summer”.