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The not so tiny thud of baby elephant feet can be heard at Whipsnade Zoo in London.

An Asian elephant calf was born earlier this week and both keepers say the mum and baby are doing well.

The calf has been identified by the keepers as female but hasn't been named yet.

She was born surrounded by the other female members of the herd at Whipsnade Zoo including her grandmother, Kaylee.

Mark Howes, Whipsnade Zoo's deputy team leader of elephants, said: "To say we're delighted by the arrival of this calf is just a huge understatement - it's a massive success for Donna, for the herd at Whipsnade Zoo, and for elephant conservation full stop.

"This little infant is a really important addition to the European-wide endangered species breeding programme for Asian elephants."

Asian elephants are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In the wild they face threats to their habitats, from poachers and from human conflicts.

Mr Howes added: "We were able to watch the birth via our hidden cameras, and it was amazing to see grandmother Kaylee step in to ... move the rest of the herd out of the way to allow the little one to stand up for the first time.

"She'll grow up being nurtured and learning from her mum Donna and grandmother Kaylee, as well as her 'aunts' and 'cousins' in the herd - and we're so excited to see her personality develop as she grows."