Baby Oscar joins the Whipsnade family

Born to first-time parents Bailey and Dominic, he is already proving to be an incredibly lively pup.

And Oscar is already taking after his parents as he is the first baby to arrive at the zoo since dad Dominic was born in 2007.

Zookeeper Alex Pinnell is overjoyed at the new arrival and said: “The new pup is a great addition to the colony here at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo and the European conservation breeding programme for this species, and it’s brilliant for us to see Bailey being such a good mum.

“We’ve named the pup Oscar, which we think suits his personality, and as ‘O’ is the 15th letter in the alphabet, we’ll always easily remember that he was born in 2015.”

Oscar was born on the edge of the sea lion’s pool, and like all pups is covered in a downy fur.

In time he will grow up to 7.5ft in length and is already showing similarities with dad Dominic by demanding mum’s attention at all times.

Alex Pinnell added: “A new infant is not only exciting for the zookeepers, but also for the other sea lions as it’s something brand new for them and they all love the new addition to their group. We’re staying hands off for now, to allow them all to get to know one another.”