Coronavirus: Baby giraffe named Margaret after first woman to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in England

‘We very much hope that Margaret Keenan will be able to come in and visit her namesake one day soon,’ said Whipsnade Zoo’s Mark Holden

According to the London zoo, Margaret is from an endangered subspecies of giraffe of which there are fewer than 9,000 in the world

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A newborn giraffe has been given the name Margaret in honour of the first coronavirus vaccination patient in the UK, 90-year-old Margaret Keenan. Photo: Zsl Whipsnade Zoo via PA Media / dpa

Published: 3:11am, 12 Dec 2020Updated: 3:43am, 12 Dec 2020

A baby giraffe born in England this week has been named Margaret in honour of the country’s first recipient of a coronavirus vaccine.

The 90-year-old Margaret Keenan was the first person in the world to be vaccinated with the coronavirus vaccine from Germany's BioNTech and US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Tuesday, almost simultaneously with the birth of the young giraffe.

“The arrival of our precious giraffe calf on the same day, and actually at the same time, as the much-anticipated Covid-19 vaccination was first administered feels like a real moment of hope, and one we are so keen to celebrate and remember,” said Whipsnade Zoo team leader Mark Holden.

Margaret Keenan, the first patient in the UK to receive the coronavirus vaccine, Photo: AP

According to the zoo to the north of London, the baby Margaret is from an endangered subspecies of giraffe, of which there are fewer than 9,000 in the world.

“We very much hope that Margaret Keenan will be able to come in and visit her namesake one day soon, so we can introduce them in person,” said Holden.