It’s a girl: Sacramento Zoo welcomes baby giraffe over weekend. ‘Mom and calf are bonding’
The Sacramento Zoo welcomed a new giraffe calf over the weekend.
Amirah the Masai giraffe gave birth to a female calf at 2:56 p.m. Saturday, said the Sacramento Zoological Society, which operates the Land Park zoo.
The zoo said in a news release that the female newborn calf, who is yet to be named, is “healthy and nursing well.”
“Our entire team is thrilled by how well Amirah and her new baby are doing,” said Melissa McCartney, senior manager of animal care. “We are thankful this was a textbook labor and delivery, with a strong and healthy calf on her feet within two hours of her birth and nursing shortly thereafter. Mom and calf are bonding behind the scenes and the entire herd is enjoying looking on and greeting the newest member of our zoo family.”
Masai giraffes are the tallest of giraffe subspecies. A calf can be as tall as 6 feet at birth and weigh up to 150 pounds.
Giraffes have been a part of the Sacramento Zoo for 70 years and the calf is the 22nd to be born at the zoo since 1954.
She joins Glory, who was born in 2020; Shani, who gave birth to Cheyenne in 2023; and the newborn’s mother, Amirah, who joined the zoo family in 2020. All of the giraffes at the zoo are female, according to zoo officials, and comes about eight months after the death of Skye, a fixture at the zoo for 25 years.
What’s her name, when can I see her?
The newborn giraffe does not yet have a name but a name will “come soon,” Sacramento Zoo spokesperson Nancy Smith-Fagan said.
The zoo said the new calf’s official debut date is dependent on the “health and welfare” of Amirah and the calf.
Still, there could be an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the newborn.
“The pair will be given bonding time but may be visible at their habitat’s side yard periodically beginning in the next few weeks,” the zoo said in a Monday news release.
The zoo said they would announce on their social media channels when the new addition to their herd would be ready to be seen in public.
The Sacramento Zoo is one of 34 institutions managing 136 Masai giraffes in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums population. The zoo partners with and supports the Wild Nature Institute, a field research organization that is currently studying Masai giraffe demographics and the African Savanna ecosystem.
This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM.
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