SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 24, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah’s Hogle Zoo welcomed its newest resident Saturday: a 6-foot-tall, 144-pound female giraffe calf.
Stephanie, the zoo’s 4-year-old reticulated giraffe, gave birth to her first calf at 11:41 a.m., Utah’s Hogle Zoo announced. The yet-to-be-named calf is the final offspring of Riley, a male giraffe and 17-year zoo resident who died in December 2021.
“Stephanie was kept under close observation and under veterinary prenatal care during the 15-month pregnancy,” Bob Cisneros, the zoo’s associate director of animal care, said in a news release. “As a first-time mom, or ‘dam,’ we took extra precautions and preparations to ensure a soft landing area was ready for the calf.”
Zoo officials say Stephanie’s labor took nearly 3 1/2 hours, with the mother standing and calf falling about 6 feet to a prepared surface.
“The birth occurred as we hoped, with staff observing by security cameras and not interfering with the natural process,” Cisneros said. “We are grateful to welcome her to our herd, while also promoting a genetically healthy giraffe population for species conservation.”
The healthy calf was standing with some extra help at first from zoo and veterinary staff, then on her own about two hours after her birth, according to the news release. Stephanie is expected to nurse the calf for six months to a year, zoo officials said.
“Within the next 48 hours we will be looking for natural signs of maternal bonding, healthy nursing, appropriate growth and development, and integration with the rest of the herd and animals in our African Savanna (exhibit),” Cisneros said.
If all goes well, guests at Utah’s Hogle Zoo will be able to see the calf in the African Savanna exhibit as soon as “one to two weeks,” zoo officials said.
The calf joins a herd of reticulated giraffes that includes mother Stephanie; Minka, a 5-year-old female; and Ja Raffe, a nearly 2-year-old male. The calf’s name will be selected by a private donor and announced on social media platforms.
The calf is the seventh fathered by Riley for Utah’s Hogle Zoo and other accredited zoos in the U.S., the release states.
The entire birth was captured on video and shared on Twitter and Facebook.
