A male giraffe calf has been welcomed as the newest addition to Dublin Zoo.

The adorable Rothschild calf was born on September 12 and stands at 1.8 meters tall and weighs around 60kg.

He joins the group of other giraffes at the zoo, with his sub-species among the most endangered in the world as fewer than 670 remain in the wild.

Pamela O'Brien, a zookeeper at Dublin Zoo, said: “We are very excited about the latest addition to the giraffe herd.

"Casey, his mother is doing an excellent job and is very attentive to her newborn.

"The calf is full of energy and very inquisitive!”

Once fully grown, the calf can stand at six metres in height and can weigh over 2000kg.

The calf and his mother at Dublin Zoo. Photo: Dublin Zoo

To celebrate his birth, Dublin Zoo is calling on creative young people to help design a new giraffe house.

‘The Giraffe House Challenge’ will coincide with Science Week 2019 and is aimed at primary school pupils in third to sixth class and secondary students in first to transition year.

The winner will receive €2,000 off their school’s electricity bill for a year and runners up will travel with their class to W5 science centre in Belfast.

To enter, students sign up to a one-day programme at Dublin Zoo to learn from a team of experts.

The challenge takes place from November 4-8 and November 11-15 at Dublin Zoo. 

Main image: The giraffe calf at Dublin Zoo. Photo: Dublin Zoo