Zookeepers have finally managed to picture a rare Andean condor chick, almost two months after its birth at Chessington World of Adventures.

Despite its ugly duckling appearance, it did not crack the lens and keepers were thrilled to get past its protective parents for an impromptu photo shoot.

It is the first parent-reared condor chick born in the UK for 12 years, and the second mother Quito has had at the zoo, after last giving birth back in 1987.

The male chick hatched on May 27, to Quito and father Chester, and has made Chessington one of only two zoos in the UK with condors reared by parents.

Principle bird keeper Zoe Parker said: “This is a great success for the zoo and really shows our dedication to the conservation of unique species.

“We are particularly pleased that Quito and Chester are the first Andean condors in the UK for 12 years to have reared the chick themselves.

“There is a shortage of male condors in captivity, so as soon as he is old enough he will certainly be in demand to be moved to another zoo to be paired as part of the on going breeding programme.”

Andean condors are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and birth in captivity is very rare.

There have been six hatchings of the species in Europe in the past 10 years and all of these have been hand-reared, making the new arrival an exceptional success for Chessington Zoo.

Andean condors are native to South America, found in the Andes and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America. They are the largest flying land bird in the Western Hemisphere.

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