The arrival of a new baby animal is always an exciting event at Global Wildlife Center. During spring of this year, staff and guests were thrilled to welcome three giraffe calves born in rapid succession. All are females, all were given Swahili names, and all are half-sisters; they share a father named Jett, but each has a different mother.
Amari, whose name means “Strength,” was born on March 23 to a mom named Sara, who has also given birth to three other calves. Asha (“Hope”) was born on April 19 to Kya, while Jasiri (“Feisty”) arrived on May 23 to Keisha. Both of those first-time moms experienced some trouble nursing, which is not unusual according to Global’s attending veterinarian and giraffe expert Dr. Jonathan Bergmann. Dr. Muir and the Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine assisted Dr. Bergmann and the Center’s Animal Care team with post-delivery care, and both Asha and Jasiri are being bottle-raised by Global Wildlife Center’s dedicated Animal Care team. Today the young pair is in great health and completely inseparable. Meanwhile, Amari has begun to approach the Private Pinzgauer safari tours, often eating right out of guests’ hands.
Giraffes give birth standing up, so the calf experiences a six-foot drop on the way down. Calves measure about six feet tall at birth and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds.
A baby giraffe’s arrival is a long-anticipated event, because giraffes have one of the longest gestations of any mammal at 15 months. Giraffes give birth standing up, so the calf experiences a six-foot drop on the way down, which also has the effect of separating the umbilical cord. Calves measure about six feet tall at birth and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. In some wild populations more than 50% of all giraffe calves do not survive their first year, so every giraffe born at Global Wildlife Center makes a difference.
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