Whipsnade Zoo celebrates first camel calf in eight years

Sally was born to 12-year-old mum Izzy and four-year-old dad Oakley in the early hours of April 11, following a 13-month pregnancy.

The young camel has been walking but wobbly within its first hours of life.

Whipsnade camel keeper George Spooner said: “Despite their reputation for being grumpy, camels are actually very patient, nurturing parents and it’s been great for us to see first-time mum Izzy attentively caring for her new-born daughter.

"Sally has very long, gangly legs which she’s still getting to grips with. Visitors can spot her following her Mum and Dad around her vast paddock, getting to know her family."

The calf has been named Sally. (Image: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo)

Whipsnade Zoo’s domestic Bactrian camels act as an ambassador species for their critically endangered ‘cousins’ the wild camel (Camelus ferus) in Mongolia and China.  

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George continued: "There are only 950 wild camels left in the deserts of Mongolia and China today, due to hunting, water scarcity and predation by the grey wolf.

"ZSL is closely involved in the wild camel project, working with conservation partners to contribute towards to scientific evidence which will inform a management plan for these critically endangered animals."

Further information can be found at www.whipsnadezoo.org

Sally and her mother Izzy at Whipsnade Zoo. (Image: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo)