A newborn giraffe had to be hand-reared by zoo staff after its mother refused to feed her.

The giraffe calf was born at the Schoenbrunn Zoo in Austria's capital Vienna on January 23, but its mum, Fleur, has reportedly been negligent in nursing her offspring due to inexperience.

Zoo staff have had to feed the baby giraffe with pasteurised Holstein Friesian cow's milk, which they buy from a farmer in Laab im Walde town. The milk's nutritional composition is said to be similar to giraffe's milk.

Eveline Dungl, head of the zoological department, said: 'For Fleur, it is her first offspring. Unfortunately, inexperienced mothers often find themselves overwhelmed with rearing in the wild. Especially with first-time mothers, there is never a guarantee that everything will go well from the start.'

She added that Fleur has become more mellow a week after giving birth, but is still distant from her calf despite the baby showing signs of affection such as licking her mum.

Zoo staff are regularly monitoring the calf's condition - keeping track of its weight and body temperature - to see if it can continue surviving on cow's milk.

Meanwhile, the giraffe park at the zoo has been temporarily closed to give the giraffe herd some time to rest. In a statement, the Schoenbrunn Zoo said: 'It is important now to give the young, inexperienced herd plenty of rest and time. They should get used to the new situation and be able to absorb this experience together.'