A male giraffe calf named Akachi - meaning hand of god in a West African language - was born to mother Tuli on January 16, 2019.

A female giraffe calf named Volta - a lake in Africa -  was born on January 28, 2019 to mother Asmara.

The keepers say both mothers are experienced and showing all the right maternal behaviours they could hope for. The calves are nursing regularly, and their mothers always have a close eye on them.

taronga.org.au/dubbo-zoo 

"The calves are generally most active in the mornings and love having a gallop around the paddock to stretch their legs. They have also grown in confidence over the past month and are now coming down to the front of the exhibit with the rest of the herd at the daily Giraffes in Focus encounter," said keeper Jack Foley.

"We are also expecting another calf in the coming weeks, so it will be a real treat for visitors to see three new calves on exhibit and four generations in the herd."

In addition to the two giraffe calves the zoo also recently welcomed two spider monkey babies, one in late October 2018 and another in February 2019. 

Both babies are doing well and can be spotted from the viewing area clinging tightly to their mothers.

Also, the two older juvenile spider monkeys are now regularly exploring their surrounds independently, occasionally getting up to mischief and hassling the patient adults in the group.

To round out the babies, the zoo also welcomed six takhi foals over the past year, four of which were born late in 2018. 

It is such a great sight to see the six foals running with the takhi herd on exhibit at present. The foals really enjoy stretching their legs and galloping out on to the exhibit in the mornings together," said Jack.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo has nine keeper talks daily.

Keeper talks are a great way to learn about the animals and see them at feeding time.

There are also animal encounters and behind the scenes tours to choose from to add something extra special to your zoo visit, including an early morning walk before the gates open or safari tour into the African Savannah exhibit.