Just when the young male giraffe calf, born June 8, thought he could get used to the spotlight, his younger half-brother joins the herd.
Another male reticulated giraffe calf was born at the Fort Worth Zoo. This new calf was born only 8 days after the birth of another male reticulated giraffe calf and brings the herd’s total to 9 giraffes said a news release. The giraffe weighed 150 pounds and was 5 feet 11 inches tall.
According to a news release, the new calf will join the rest of the herd in the Fort Worth Zoo’s new African Savanna exhibit. This is new section can house 18 giraffes so the herd still has room to grow. According to the news release, this section of the zoo will allow visitors to stand at eye level with the giraffes and to feed them.
The male calf is still currently unnamed and is the half-brother to the calf that was born on June 8. His mom is the 8 year-old giraffe Corrie and it was her second calf, and his dad is named Captain. According to news release, the Fort Worth Zoo houses reticulated giraffes and participates in a cooperative breeding program with other accredited zoos.
According to a news release, giraffes have been classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and, according to the IUCN and the Giraffe Conservation Foundations, there has been a population decrease of 40 percent in the last 20 years.
For more information about the new African Savanna exhibit go to: fortworthzoo.org/african-savanna