Newborn baby animals are always adorable, but the arrival of a baby giraffe is extra special. Unlike most newborns, giraffes can be over six feet tall at birth and stand on their feet right away.
This is why the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado is so excited about its newest arrival: a baby female giraffe born Wednesday morning.
The announcement follows a 15-month pregnancy by 10-year-old mom Bailey. According to a post from the zoo, a “group of lucky guests” saw Bailey’s water break as she went into labor.
“Tens of thousands” also witnessed the baby’s birth live via a YouTube live stream set up by the zoo.
Giraffes have one of the most unique births: Giraffes have the third largest newborns in the animal kingdom, behind blue whales and elephants, averaging about 165 pounds.
After the long gestation period, baby giraffes are born fully formed and start taking their first wobbly steps within an hour of birth.
That was the case of this newborn, the zoo writes, who took “several attempts to stand on its own” before finding her footing.
The calf is currently unnamed: in accordance with “Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition,” they will wait 30 days before naming her.
They don’t have an exact weight and height yet, but she appears to be 6 feet tall and weighs around 125 pounds.
She is mother Bailey’s second baby and is now the 17th member of the zoo’s reticulated giraffe herd. Her father is a male giraffe named Khalid.
Mother and baby got along well and zoo visitors can see them from a short distance in the giraffe barn. They can also be seen on the zoo’s live stream.
Reticulated giraffes were listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List as of 2018, so each new birth is great news for the conservation of this endangered species.
We hope this beautiful little giraffe continues to thrive and grow big, strong and extra tall! Congratulations to Mama Bailey on her second birth!