Ellie the baby emu – the latest arrival at a Wraxall zoo farm – has bonded so well with her keeper that she thinks he's her dad.

Bird and reptile keeper Mark Walters, took home the emu egg from which Ellie was hatched after it was found abandoned by a male emu in a pen at Noah's Ark.

Mark, aged 19, took it back to his Nailsea home and kept the egg in a specialist incubator to see if it would hatch.

Ellie was born on May 15 and now, at just four weeks old, will not leave her surrogate dad alone.

She follows him around the farm as he carries out his duties.

Young emus naturally follow their father's legs whilst communicating through whistles and Ellie is no exception, happily following Mark's legs around and running to him when he whistles.

Mark has also had to demonstrate to Ellie how to eat by using his hand as a beak and pecking food off the floor.

Ellie then copies this movement during her feeding time.

Mark said: "Usually Dad would show Ellie how to eat.

"As he is not able to, I have had to take on that role and get down on the floor and demonstrate it to Ellie.

"Ellie loves human company and will stick by me as much as possible.

"We have brought her into some of the school trips education sessions and she follows me around the zoo.

"She has become a firm favourite with the visitors as many have never seen an Emu that close before".

Emus are different to most animals as it is the male who raise and hatch the young.

He is the protector of the eggs and will sit and guard them.

Once the emus have hatched it is the father who will raise them and train them.