Baby maras causing a stir at Telford plant centre

There has been the patter of very tiny feet at a Telford plant centre.

Lakeside Plant Centre, Priorslee, has its own 'mini zoo' as it runs a rescue centre for animals.

Two years ago three maras arrived there, a species of rodent from Argentina, the fourth largest rodent in the world reaching about 2ft tall.

Maras are notoriously difficult to breed and this is the first time the centre has had babies survive. The creatures caused quite a stir on Thursday especially for customer Becky Weeks, from Lightmoor.

She had popped down to the plant centre to buy pots along with her brother Sean Weeks and his partner Becky Jones, from Muxton. Miss Weeks said: "We were just standing talking and then this baby popped out and landed on the floor. I've never seen anything like it before. We did not know it was going to happen and went and grabbed somebody that worked there.

"It turned out it was the second baby we saw and she had already given birth to one."

Kevin Turley, spokesman for Lakeside, said: "It's very rare apparently for them to give birth and you are lucky if one survives. We are over the moon that two have survived the birth."

Miss Weeks has now asked the centre to call one of the babies Becky if it is a girl.