Julius The Giraffe Calf In Intensive Care At Maryland Zoo

BALTIMORE, MD — Julius, the three-week-old giraffe calf who has struggled to bottle-feed and thrive, has lost at least two pounds in recent days and is now in intensive care, say Maryland Zoo officials. The 6-foot-tall, 143-pound reticulated giraffe was born at 5:49 a.m. on June 15.

Although the baby tried to nurse, blood work showed he was not receiving the necessary antibodies to fight infection. Zoo workers rushed to give Julius a plasma transfusion from the Columbus Zoo a few days later. “The first 48 hours after birth is the critical time for giraffe calves to get the antibodies from mother’s milk, or in our case, the colostrum supplement,” Mammal Collection and Conservation Manager Erin Cantwell said.

Saturday morning the zoo team posted that a "sudden and major change in Julius’ blood work is a serious concern for the giraffe care and veterinary teams. Julius is now in an intensive care situation as the team works to stabilize him while continuing to focus efforts to get him feeding from a bottle."

On Sunday zoo officials said that Julius’ intensive care continued around the clock, with an emergency transfusion of giraffe plasma donated by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo administered. Teams are monitoring the results of the procedure closely while continuing to work with Julius on bottle feeding.

Not only are Maryland Zoo experts critically caring for Julius, but staff members are also regularly communicating with colleagues at Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoos across the country who have worked with similar cases.

"We know this news is difficult for all of the #TeamJulius members who’ve been rooting for him to improve these three weeks and who continue to cheer and pray for our little guy to keep fighting," zoo officials said online. "We can only assure you that the zoo team’s resolve, expertise, and care are Julius’ best allies right now."

When caretakers decided the calf needed an antibody transfer in a plasma transfusion from the blood of an adult giraffe, Maryland Zoo hospital keeper Kaitie Kessler drove to West Virginia on June 16 to meet personnel from the Columbus Zoo who provided the plasma, which she drove on ice back to Baltimore.

Since Julius is not nursing, the Maryland Zoo team decided to begin bottle feeding him.

“Normally, a calf will nurse on mother’s milk for approximately six months. Because this calf isn’t nursing, we made the decision to start to bottle feed him yesterday," Cantwell said. "Giraffe calves are notoriously difficult to bottle-feed, and it could take a week to get him onto the bottle, according to other colleagues who have had to hand feed giraffe calves. We will also continue to supplement him with formula while he learns to bottle feed, so he will be getting the nutrition he needs."

The mother — 7-year-old Kesi — and calf are staying in a part of the Giraffe House that is closed to the public. The other giraffes will in the future be introduced to the new calf.

The male giraffe calf is the second born this year at the zoo in Baltimore, which welcomed baby Willow on Feb. 6. She was the first giraffe calf to be born there since 1997.

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Photos courtesy of the Maryland Zoo.