New giraffe baby ushers in theNew Year at the Louisville Zoo

A new baby Masai giraffe was born on Monday, January 11, at the Louisville Zoo.

At 1 p.m., 22-year-old Mariah gave birth to her ninth offspring—a 130-pound, 5-foot-10-inch male. The baby dropped 6-feet to the ground from his mother, who gave birth standing up. He stood for the first time at 1:51 p.m. and began to nurse at 4 p.m.

“It’s exciting to see this independent, precocious little calf already up running and playing. He is so steady on his feet—he stood faster than any giraffe calf I have ever seen,” said Louisville Zoo Assistant Mammal Curator Candy McMahan who has worked with giraffes for 26 years. “And Mariah is an excellent mother. She is very nurturing and attentive.”

The Louisville Zoo has had a successful giraffe breeding program over the years and this calf is the 20th giraffe to be born in the Zoo’s 40 year history.

The planned birth was a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Masai giraffe Population Management Plan (PMP), a cooperative animal management program that identifies population management goals and recommendations that will ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically varied population.

A naming contest is planned and details will be announced at a later date.

Baby and mom are currently off exhibit in their warm indoor bedroom. A date has not been set when they will be viewable by visitors. Those who are interested can see pictures and follow the baby’s progress on the Zoo’s website.

Bakari (pronounced bah-KAH-ree), which means hopeful, was the last Masai giraffe baby born at the Louisville Zoo. Born February 17, 2009, Bakari survived many difficulties including obtaining life-saving plasma transfers and fluids at birth and a surgical procedure to correct his angular limb deformity. He is now doing well and has wonderful mobility, playing and running at top speeds.

There are currently five Masai giraffes at the Louisville Zoo—the newborn calf, his mother Mariah and his father Walker, age 16, as well as nearly 1-year-old Bakari and his mother Malaika, age 13.

For more information on PMPs, visit http://www.aza.org/population-management-plan-programs/.

Watch video here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ix7QgIii0

GIRAFFES

Giraffes are the tallest of land mammals and have single births after a gestation period of 14-16 months. Mothers give birth while standing and the young fall five to six feet upon delivery. Offspring are usually 6-feet tall at birth.

Male giraffes grow to be 15-18 feet tall and weigh 1,200-1,800 pounds. The signature long neck only has seven vertebrae, the same as most mammals. To counteract the demands of such a long neck, there are valves in the veins of the neck to prevent blood from rushing back too fast. They also have a massive heart (which is about 2 feet long and weighs about 25 pounds in adults) and extremely high blood pressure which is necessary to force blood up the seven or eight foot path to the brain.

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

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Get up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit by checking out our new Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville Zoo by becoming a fan on Facebook.

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