Another highlight for Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo's newest addition. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Auckland Zoo is celebrating the birth of its 29th giraffe, a male, born just after 6am on Friday. Standing 1.8m tall and weighing a healthy 55kg, the calf is yet to be named - keepers are waiting to see more of his personality before they decide.

The newcomer is the third offspring of 9-year-old mother Rukiya and 11-year-old father Zabulu, also parents to Forrest, now at Australia Zoo. Their first calf, born in 2006, did not survive.

Zoo team leader Nat Sullivan was keeping a close eye on mother and calf after a longer-than-usual three-hour labour.

"We're going to give her and her calf some time to bond in private as they would in the wild," she said.

The two will be gradually integrated with other giraffes, zebras and ostriches at Pridelands, and visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of the family within the next few weeks.