Como Zoo is excited to welcome a new baby giraffe to its herd. Coming into the world at over six feet, the baby is standing tall with mother Clover shadowing over him.
The new baby male, born Tuesday, September 10th at 7:30pm, is the 8th calf born to Clover and the 23rd giraffe birth at Como Zoo in the last 25 years. The yet-to-be named male weighs 160 pounds (Clover’s largest to date) and stands 6’ 4” tall. Como’s current herd currently consists of Clover, Daisy, Skeeter (father), Penelope, and the new male. This is Skeeter’s 7th offspring, 5 of which have been female.
The photo of Clover giving birth was quite the social media sensation as many visitors gathered around the exhibit late in the afternoon on September 10th snapping photos of the hoofs starting to emerge from Clover. A few hours later, with Clover inside her bedroom, she gave birth onto a special straw bed that zookeepers prepared for the birth.
The baby will likely make his public debut next week, allowing time for Clover and her baby to bond behind-the-scenes.
The giraffe is the tallest of all land-living animal species. They can be as tall as 18 feet tall and have a prehensile (used for grasping) tongue as long as 18 inches. During the first two years of a giraffe’s life, it doubles in height, often standing over 12-feet tall. Giraffe gestation lasts between 14 and 15 months, after which a single calf is born. Like human fingerprints, the markings or spots of a giraffe’s coat are unique to each individual. Reticulated giraffes are native to the dry savannahs and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa.
Como Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). AZA is America’s leading accrediting organization for zoos and aquariums, and accredits only those institutions that have achieved rigorous, professional standards for animal welfare and management, veterinary care, wildlife conservation and research, education, safety, staffing and more. With only 200 accredited members, AZA is building North America’s largest wildlife conservation movement and is your link to helping animals in their native habitats.
