Cincinnati Zoo welcomes baby giraffe

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By Staff Report, Staff Writer Updated 8:37 PM Saturday, April 2, 2011

CINCINNATI – The public will have to wait to find out if the new baby giraffe born today at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is a girl or a boy.

The much celebrated addition to the zoo family will make its first appearance to the public on Tuesday. Likely, zoo officials said, there will be a naming contest.

Its mother, Tessa, age 4, gave birth to her first calf at 9:40 a.m. April 2 in her indoor stall, according to a public announcement from the zoo.

It was the first baby giraffe born in 26 years, although the zoo’s history with giraffe births dates back to 1889 when it became the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere to have a giraffe born in captivity.

“The Zoo is buzzing with excitement today with the birth of the baby giraffe,” stated Thane Maynard, executive director of the Cincinnati Zoo. “It’s been a long time, but well worth the wait. Just when you think you have seen it all, something truly amazing like this comes along reminds me how special nature truly is.”

Tessa became restless early Saturday morning, around 5 a.m. Shortly thereafter, volunteers noticed the calf’s hoof coming through and immediately contacted zoo veterinarian and keeper staff. Four hours later, Tessa delivered her calf. Soon after delivery, Tessa began licking her calf, and the calf first attempted to stand around 10 a.m. The calf successfully nursed at 11:10 a.m.

The gender of the calf still is unknown, but zoo officials sayd the baby and mother are doing well and will remain inside, off exhibit through Monday to allow for bonding time.

The Zoo will provide the latest updates, photos and video of the baby through the Zoo’s website, Facebook, Twitter and Blog pages throughout the weekend. Visitors will also have the chance to help name the baby.

Tessa, who weighs about 1,800 pounds, came to the Cincinnati Zoo in 2008 from the Houston Zoo for the opening of Giraffe Ridge. The father, “Kimbaumbau” (Kimba) also came to Cincinnati in 2008, from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.

Although the numbers have decreased in the past century, giraffes are not currently endangered, but listed as “lower risk” with fairly stable populations. Unlike many species, there is no true breeding season for the Maasai Giraffe, and females can become pregnant beginning at just four years of age. In the wild, as many as 75 percent of the calves die in their first few months of life, mainly due to predation.

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