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This holiday season, Zoo Miami is celebrating the public debut of the 60th giraffe born in the zoo’s history! Born on December 15th, the little female made her public debut on Thursday, December 21st! The 13-year-old mother’s name is Sabra, and this is her eighth calf. The father is 6-year-old Malcolm, and this is also his eighth calf. At birth, the calf stood a bit over 5 feet tall and weighed just over 120 pounds which is actually a bit on the smaller side for newborn giraffe. Initial results from her neonatal exam indicate that she is strong and healthy.
As she accompanied her mother onto the habitat for the first time, the entire herd came over to welcome her. Each giraffe took turns approaching the calf, then smelling her and occasionally licking her. The calf seems to be unfazed by all the attention and has spent the last few days exploring her new habitat where she can now be seen daily with the rest of the herd.
Giraffe have a pregnancy of approximately 15 months and the mother rarely, if ever, lies down while giving birth. The newborn falls 4-6 feet to the floor where it receives quite an introduction to the world!
The status of the giraffe in the wild is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to significant reductions in their populations over the last several years.
