A shire horse in North Cornwall has given birth to a filly foal – one of less than 300 predicted to be born in the UK this year.
Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park, near Wadebridge, is already home to ten shire horses, including the new foal's mother, Orla, and her grandmother, Annie.
The female foal, whose name will be chosen by visitors, was born at about 4am on May 16.
Animal realm manager Steve Masters said he had been staying overnight for two weeks to keep an eye on the mare and make sure he didn't miss the big event.
"I came in to check on her at about 3.30am," he said. "I heard a big grunt, then I saw two feet popping out and within half an hour, the foal was out.
"Half an hour after that, she was up and within an hour she was pretty much walking like a foal should be, which is very impressive.
"She was bang on her due date and that's quite unusual. Orla is a brilliant Mum, she just turned around and started licking her foal, it was fantastic."
General Manager Simon Townsend said: "This is Orla's first foal and the only one to be born at Cornwall's Crealy this year so she's very special to us."
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