170-pound baby giraffe born at Utah zoo. See its ‘six-foot drop into the world’
A zoo in Utah welcomed a new baby – and it stands more than 6 feet tall and weighs close to 170 pounds.
The baby giraffe was born at 8:45 p.m. Feb. 7 and “already shows strong, healthy behaviors – walking, nursing, and staying close to mom,” Utah’s Hogle Zoo said in a Feb. 12 announcement on its website.
Zoo officials made sure the baby had a soft area to land when it made its ”six-foot drop into the world,” they said, noting that giraffes stand while giving birth to their calves.
Staff kept an eye on the birth via security cameras, later sharing some footage on Facebook and Instagram.
In the video, the newborn calf can be seen dropping to the ground and also standing and taking some wobbly steps.
Commenters cheered the calf’s arrival.
“Congratulations!! He is so adorable! I can’t wait to see him when he’s been acclimated to his environment,” one person wrote on Facebook.
Another person wrote, “There is nothing cuter than a baby giraffe!! I can imagine all the zoomies happening in the barn.”
On Instagram, a commenter wrote, “I love this more than I have words for.”
The male calf’s name – if he has one yet – hasn’t been shared. But zoo officials said mom Stephanie is “confidently” caring for him – “grooming, nursing, and keeping a watchful eye as he explores his surroundings.”
The calf is Stephanie’s second and the first for dad Ja, zoo officials said.
Ja came to the Utah zoo from Memphis in 2022 and will meet his new calf when the little one is a bit older, according to zoo officials.
Meanwhile, “the rest of the herd shows great interest in their newest member, watching him curiously. The calf will soon meet a few select herd mates,” zoo officials said.
For now, mom and baby are staying out of the public eye while they bond.
Zoo officials said the calf is healthy and starting to show his personality.
“The calf is described by his care team as strong, brave, curious, and gregarious – often exploring new spaces before his mother and eagerly approaching keepers for his first health checkup, where he was weighed and had a blood draw,” officials said.
He measured 6-foot-2 and weighed 169 pounds, officials said.
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