“It’s nerve-wracking to watch a giraffe run for the first time…”

Baby Murchison is a rather skeptical-looking young Rothschild’s giraffe; he doesn’t want to go outside with the rest of the Chester Zoo giraffe herd in Chester, England. But the eager (and slightly anxious) team of keepers gives him some time to adjust, and Murchison soon follows mom Tula into the open.

In no time, the 2-meter (6.5 foot) tall giraffe baby is running about, brand new legs flailing in all directions. Giraffe Team Manager Sarah Roffe explains:

“It’s nerve-wracking to watch a giraffe run for the first time because the legs are all over the shop. They’re not sure where the brakes are. They go running out not knowing when to stop, and normally if one sets off, they all go crazy.”

This 2016 clip from The Secret Life of the Zoo is narrated by Olivia Colman and shared by the Nature Bites YouTube channel. More from Chester Zoo:

“Our zookeepers, who have named the calf Murchison after Murchison Falls in Uganda (home to the largest remaining population of Rothschild’s giraffes), have described the not-so-little youngster as ‘a touch shy’ but say he’s now ‘starting to find his feet’…

“It’s estimated there are only 1,600 Rothschild’s giraffes left across Africa – making them one of the world’s rarest and most at risk species – as poaching and habitat loss continue to push the species to the very edge of existence.”

Follow the Chester Zoo on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Watch these giraffe and baby animal videos next:
• Giraffes Desi and Buttercup crunch on veggies
• Feeding Rothschild’s giraffes
• Running with a recovering baby rhinoceros
• Black bear cubs learn to scamper up trees (sort of)
• Running baby flamingos