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Newborn giraffe named after first person to get vaccine
Image source, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo has welcomed a new baby giraffe and named it Margaret after the first person in the UK to get the coronavirus vaccine.
The female calf arrived early on 8 December around the same time that the first vaccine was given to Margaret Keenan - so keepers thought it was a good idea to name the newborn after her.
Giraffes give birth standing up, meaning youngsters are welcomed to the world with a two-metre thud to the ground!
Giraffe Margaret took her first wobbly steps within an hour of being born.
Image source, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
She's the second calf to be born to mum Luna and was born as part of an international conservation breeding programme for the species.
Mark Holden from the zoo said: "2020 has been a challenging year for the world, and the arrival of our precious giraffe calf on the same day - and actually at the same time! - as the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccination was first administered feels like a real moment of hope - and one we are so keen to celebrate and remember."
"With fewer than 9,000 individuals living in the wild, this little one's arrival is a vital boost to the numbers of this endangered species," said Mark.