Spring is officially on the way as a popular family attraction welcomes a hoard of new baby animals.

Staff at Smithills Open Farm have been very busy keeping track of the new arrivals, with lambs, kids, and chicks all making an appearance.

On top of this, the team received a special surprise when a male baby alpaca was born.

Carl Grimshaw, owner of the site, said: “It’s been mega busy, mega hard work but really enjoyable.

“We can never tell when an alpacas going to have a baby. With a cow or a sheep you can say it’ll be in the next 24 hours but you can’t with an alpaca, there’s no sign and then a baby on the floor five minutes later.

“It was a surprise when he was born, it’s always a nice surprise though because it’s something a bit more unusual.

“We had a lot of people come in over the weekend who wanted to come and see him in Pet’s Corner with his mum.”

The team have shared a number of photos of the new arrivals on the Smithills Open Farm Facebook page, even capturing a video of a lamb trying to stand up for the first time.

A competition to name Bolton’s newest alpaca has also been uploaded to the page.

Members of the public can suggest a name for him to be in with a chance to win a family pass to the farm.

The winner can also have a special one-on-one visit with the new baby.

Carl added: “We need a name for this baby alpaca.

“All our other ones have chocolate themed names. His mum is called Curley, her daughter is called Wurley, and we also have Caramel and Fudge.

“It absolutely needs to stick to that to be in with a chance.

“We’ve got some other babies that need names too, lots of baby lambs and goats and more to arrive.

“There’s baby chicks and rabbits now too, more than enough to keep us busy.”

The farm started welcoming members of the public in 2001 and people can visit every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.