Oh, Baby! Giraffe Calf Born At The Living Desert

PALM DESERT, CA- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has a new baby giraffe that will be on exhibit beginning this weekend.

The as-yet unnamed male calf, standing 5-feet-9 and weighing 130 pounds, was born Wednesday to mother “Dadisi” and father “Hesabu.”

“While we are always excited to announce the birth of new babies here at The Living Desert, it is especially wonderful to welcome our first baby of 2016, a beautiful giraffe calf,” said Allen Monroe, the zoo’s president and CEO. “Both mother and baby are doing well.”

Fewer than 80,000 giraffes exist in the wild, zoo officials said.

“Both Dadisi and Hesabu were sent to our zoo for breeding, based on Species Survival Plan recommendations,” Monroe said. “The successful breeding and birth of their babies has helped build the population of this endangered species, which is an important and fulfilling part of our mission.”

The newborn is expected to nurse from his mother for nine to 12 months, and begin eating foliage in about four months.

Last year, the zoo welcomed the birth of a new female giraffe, “Ayo,” which was also fathered by Hesabu.

With the new addition, the zoo is now home to five male and two female giraffes.

– By City News Service.