Surrogate sought for baby giraffe

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A Hampshire zoo is celebrating the birth of two healthy giraffes but one calf is seeking a surrogate mother.

The as yet unnamed youngster was one of a pair born just two weeks apart at Marwell Zoo, near Winchester.

The three-week old calf, already 6ft (1.8m) tall, was rejected by his mother at birth and has been reared by keepers on goats milk.

Keepers have said they hope they can persuade female giraffe Biffa, a mother of nine, to adopt the orphan.

Ian Goodwin, keeper at Marwell Zoo, told BBC News the new addition had not been adapting well to being hand reared but he was hoping he would take to a new mum.

"We had another giraffe born a week ago now, so we have been trying to cut his feed down and put him in with that mother and her calf to see if he will go and suckle off her and she'd then become his surrogate mum," Mr Goodwin said.

Last month, a set of twins of one of the world's most endangered species of monkey, the cotton-top tamarin, were born at the zoo following a breeding programme.