Newborn animals are always cute, but there is something extra special about the arrival of a baby giraffe. Unlike most newborns, giraffes can be over two meters long at birth and can stand on their own legs immediately.
That’s why Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, in Colorado, is so excited about their latest addition: a giraffe baby born two weeks ago.
The announcement comes after a 15-month pregnancy by the 10-year-old mother Bailey. According to a zoo post, a “group of lucky guests” saw Bailey’s water break when she went into labor.
“Tens of thousands” also witnessed the birth of the baby through a YouTube livestream set up by the zoo.
Giraffes have one of the most unique births in the animal kingdom: Giraffes have the third largest newborns in the animal kingdom, behind only blue whales and elephants, averaging about 75 kilograms.
After a long gestation period, baby giraffes are born quite developed and begin taking their first wobbly steps within an hour of birth.
That was also the case for this newborn, as the zoo writes, who “made several attempts to stand on her own” before finding her way.
The calf currently has no name: following “Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition,” they will wait 30 days before naming her.
They don’t have exact weight and length yet, but she appears to be 1.82 meters long and about 57 kilograms.
She is the second baby for mother Bailey and is now the 17th member of the zoo’s Somali giraffe herd (with typical coat). Her father is a male named Khalid.
The mother and baby have developed a good bond, and zoo visitors can see them from a short distance in the giraffe stable. They are also viewable on the zoo’s livestream.
https://youtu.be/f7rAau9AG88
Somali giraffes were listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List from 2018, so every new birth is good news for the conservation of this endangered species.
We hope this beautiful little giraffe continues to thrive and grow strong and very big! Congratulations to mom Bailey on her second baby!
Share this great news if you love giraffes! ️?❤️
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