The birth of a European bison has been announced by Fota Wildlife Park in Cork.
The female was born on 4 January to mother Erika and father Hyssop.
The European bison is the largest land-mammal species in Europe; a big bull can weigh up to 1,000kg and can reach a height of 1.82m (6’).
It is classified vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
With a thickset body, short neck and a visible hump at the shoulder, these bison are distinctive looking animals.
Fota said that Erika, who came from Skansen Foundation Zoo in Stockholm, is one of the founding members of the Fota herd.
She has over 50 grandchildren in various zoological institutions across Europe, all of them participating in the coordinated European Endangered Species Programme.
The father, who arrived at Fota from Port Lympne Reserve in Britain, is the dominant bull of the herd.
