LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Zoo welcomed a new baby giraffe Friday, the first calf born at the zoo in 12 years.
In a news release Monday, zoo officials said the newborn Masai giraffe, who hasn't been named yet, was born to parents Kianga and Baridi.
Kianga delivered a healthy calf after a gestation period of 15-17 months. The calf weighed 160 pounds and stood at 6 feet, 2 inches tall at the time of birth.
"We are delighted to celebrate this important birth," Dan Maloney, director of the Louisville Zoo, said in a news release Monday. "Both Kianga and the calf are doing well, and the Zoo staff is closely monitoring them to ensure their continued health and well-being."
On Friday, August 9 the Louisville Zoo welcomed our first giraffe calf since 2012! The calf was born around 10 a.m. weighing 160 pounds & standing at 6'2 . We can't wait for you to see him later this summer in the giraffe habitat!
— Louisville Zoo (@LouisvilleZoo) August 12, 2024
Watch the live stream: https://t.co/k1enAEYuEf pic.twitter.com/ivxA1gQxHC
The zoo said the new calf will make its public debut "in the coming days." And a name will be announced "in the coming weeks."
"Masai giraffes, native to East Africa, are the largest subspecies of giraffe," the zoo says on its website. "The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species categorizes giraffes as a whole as vulnerable. Maai giraffe numbers have declined more than 50% in last 30 years. Their largest threats are habitat loss and poaching."
For more information and to watch a live video feed of the baby giraffe, click here.
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