The Los Angeles Zoo announced the birth of a new baby giraffe. At six feet tall and 172 pounds, it’s hard to believe the unnamed addition is still a baby boy—and he’s only going to get bigger.
According to the zoo’s announcement, the Masai calf was born on April 8, 2022, and is making its debut on April 28.
🦒Big Baby Alert!🦒 We are excited to announce that a healthy male Masai giraffe calf was born on Friday, April 8. He weighs 172 pounds and stands at six foot seven inches, making him the tallest #giraffe calf in the history of the L.A. Zoo. Stay tuned for updates! #ZooBabies pic.twitter.com/XWudeJ34rV
— Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens (@LAZoo) April 27, 2022
Photos released of the newborn giraffe on Twitter show a healthy and handsome youngster with dark coloring across the top of his face and wild tufts of black hair on top. This type of giraffe (also known as the Maasai or Kilimanjaro giraffe) is native to East Africa and has distinctive jagged, irregular spots that are usually darker than other species.
Masais are the tallest of this species, making them the tallest land animals on Earth. A full-grown bull can weigh almost 3,000 pounds so this calf could be about the same weight as a small car in a couple of years.
His parents, Zainabu and Philip, both of the Masai giraffe subspecies, both call the L.A. facility home. As an endangered species threatened by poaching and habit vulnerability, this will come as welcome news to zoo conservationists. Especially after the loss of the 12-year-old female Masai giraffe, Hasina, and her full-term stillborn calf last year.
Find out more about how you can visit the L.A. Zoo to see more baby animals here.