Camel calf born at Riga Zoo

RIGA - At the beginning of June, the Riga Zoo's camel mother Leila gave birth to her first calf, the Marketing and Business Development Department of the zoo informed LETA.

The camel calf weighed 30 kilograms. Visitors to the zoo could observe the mother's care in person - the calf showed efforts to get up a few minutes after birth, receiving her mother's help.

Although this is Leila's first offspring, the feeding process and care are going well. The baby will feed on breast milk for about a year and a half, continuing to gain weight every day.

During the first week, the mother and baby were separated from the rest of the camel house and out of sight of visitors, allowing them both to recover. But for now, the camel mother and calf are enjoying the midday sun as the calf explores its surroundings and moves its legs in a hopping step.

Camels are pregnant for 13 months, with calfs born every two to three years. Born on March 30 of last year to the camel mother Vasara, Mrija has almost reached the size of an adult camel, but a closer look shows that she is still the smallest among the large animals.

Camels reach sexual maturity at the age of three to five years.