One of the rarest animals in the world has a new addition to its numbers – with the birth of the first foal this spring at the Suffolk Punch Trust.

Colony Boo is already proving to be a popular new attraction at the trust at Hollesley.

She was born April 21, at 2.30am, and trust officials say both Boo and Colony Vee – her six year old first time mum – are doing very well.

Boo’s father is Suffolk Punch Champion, 10-year-old Best Thorpe Achilles.

A trust spokeswoman said: “Boo at the moment stays close to mum in the paddock, but is not people shy and often follows mummy to the gate to say hello to our visitors.

“At the moment she spends most of her day frolicking, sleeping and nuzzling mum for an extra drink of milk.

“We hope she will be joined by other playmates soon, however, we are so grateful for her safe introduction into the world and the smile she brings to our visitors’ faces.”

The trust is now open for the season, currently Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 10.30am to 4pm, with a chance to see the horses in training, plus enjoy pets paddock, tractor trailer rides and other attractions.

While still on the critically endangered list, the number of Suffolk Punches has risen steadily over the past 50 years, though the number of breeding females for the heavy horse breed remains at less than 300.