Photo courtesy of The Dallas Zoo.
The Dallas Zoo announced a new arrival into the Giants of the Savanna family. A healthy male reticulated giraffe calf was born Sept. 24 to mother Katie and father Tebogo.
The calf stands at 5 feet 8 inches and weighed in at 156 pounds. Zoo officials report that stood within the first hour of his birth, nursed shortly after and attempted a few laps around the barn.
“Welcoming a new calf is always a joyful moment for our Zoo family and our community,” said Tina Cloutier Barbour, the Dallas Zoo’s associate vice president of animal care and welfare. “Every birth helps contribute to the long-term conservation of this incredible species.”
Reticulated giraffes are listed as endangered in the wild, with their population declining by nearly 30% in the last three decades due to habitat loss and poaching. To help combat this issue, the zoo works to ensure healthy, genetically diverse giraffe populations for the future through Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
Zoo officials said both mom and calf are doing well under the close watch of the animal care team. Katie, already an experienced mother, is once again proving to be attentive and nurturing to her new born.
The Dallas Zoo will share updates soon on when guests can expect to see the calf venturing into the Giants of the Savanna habitat alongside the rest of the herd.
