Cute Highland calf born at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

A Highland calf has been born at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm near Bristol, much to the delight of staff.

Bonnie was born to mum, three-year-old Agnes, at the farm at Wraxall on Thursday 9 September and immediately set about wowing her keepers.

Zoo keeper Eleanor Steeds said: "Highland calves are the cutest thing, and we were so happy to see Bonnie. She’s already very confident and inquisitive.

"This is the first birth for Agnes, so she needed a little help at first, but she is already proving to be a great mum. For now, Bonnie will continue to stay with her mum, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on how she gets on."

The new arrival has been named Bonnie, which means beautiful. Credit: Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Bonnie was conceived by artificial insemination and is the first Highland calf to be born at the zoo in five years. Charlotte, who was born in 2015 and named after the royal princess, has now moved on to another collection.

Bonnie's sire - the nobly-named Alasdair 4th of Woodneuk - is black haired like her and won Champion Highlander as a yearling at the National Highland Cattle Society show.

The new arrival will stay with the zoo's existing Highland cattle - mum Agnes and 12-year-old Dorothy (known as Dot) for the time being. The animals can live until they are around 20-years-old.

Highland cows come from mountainous areas of Scotland and are the oldest registered breed of cattle in the world.

They are known for their long, wavy coats that keep them warm in cold winters. This is actually a double coat - the long outer coat of hair and a downy undercoat.

Mum Agnes may be the breed's trademark ginger but Bonnie is black like most Highland cattle used to be. Credit: Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Highland cattle also have prominent horns that Bonnie is yet to grow into - although they will come through before she turns one and she should be her full size by the time she is two-years-old.

Although Bonnie's mum is ginger - perhaps the most recognisable look of the breed nowadays - the cattle can have a range of hair colour, including red, black, white, tan, silver, yellow and brindle.

Once upon a time the cattle were mainly black, like Bonnie. Noah's Ark Zoo Farm says she lives up to her name, which is of Scottish origin and means beautiful.