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The male reticulated giraffe calf weighed 137 pounds and stood about 6 feet tall at birth on Sunday morning, the zoo said. He will be several feet taller before his first birthday.
Melanie Laurendine/Indianapolis ZooINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Zoo says a male reticulated giraffe has been born there.
The calf weighed 137 pounds and stood about 6 feet tall at birth on Sunday morning, the zoo said. He will be several feet taller before his first birthday, it said.
The newborn is the first calf for its 3-year-old mother, Kita, following a 14-month pregnancy, the zoo said.
Zookeepers say the calf is curious, following closely behind Kita and nursing well. The other members of the herd have shown interest in interacting and have licked the calf through a stall fence.
The zoo will conduct a public naming contest on social media, it said.
Native to sub-Saharan Africa, giraffes bear a beautiful coat of brown spots. Every giraffe’s pattern is unique, but the newborn currently takes after his father, 10-year-old Majani, with his lighter, caramel-colored patches, the zoo said.
The zoo’s giraffe herd, which now numbers five, will spend much of the winter inside its climate-controlled indoor barn. The new family is expected to make its public debut in the spring.
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