SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) — The Santa Barbara Zoo welcomed a baby Masai giraffe last week, following a nearly 15-month pregnancy of its mother Audrey.
The unnamed male calf was born on March 26, weighing in at 191 pounds (87 kilograms) and standing 6’6″ tall (198 centimeters).
The zoo said both the calf and mama are doing well.
There are an estimated 37,000 Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania, the zoo reported, and calves born in captivity are extremely important, as there are only 120 in zoos across North America.
Another calf at the zoo is expected to be born later this year, with fellow female Betty Lou due in late summer.
