NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk welcomed a Masai giraffe calf on Monday!
The mother, Imara, gave birth to a baby girl that weighed 141 pounds and is almost 6 feet tall. This is the sixth baby giraffe for momma Imara, and seventh for dad, Billy.
“We’re so excited to see the birth of the world’s tallest land mammal here at the Zoo,” said Greg Bockheim, Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo. “This perfectly coincides with the addition of our life-size giraffe sculpture at the Zoo’s entrance which gives visitors the opportunity to feel the real-life scale of these magnificent creatures.”
The calf, which doesn't have a name yet, was standing within two hours of being born. The zoo said the mom and baby will remain inside, with access to an outside holding yard, to bond for up to a few weeks before being introduced to the exhibit.
Guests can still see the pair from the viewing windows inside the giraffe barn.
Masai giraffes are the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal on Earth. They are native to Kenya and Tanzania and are characterized by their jagged spots.
Did you know when a giraffe baby is born, it comes into the world front feet first, followed by the head, neck, and shoulders?
The naming rights for the calf will be auctioned off at the Zoo’s Annual Zoo To Do on June 1, 2019. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.
Click here to learn more about the Virginia Zoo.
In November, a 3-week-old giraffe passed away at the Virginia Zoo after coming down with a serious infection.