CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — It's a boy! The Metro Richmond Zoo welcomed a baby reticulated giraffe on August 2.
He was born to parents Iris and Wakati after a 15-month gestational period.
The big baby stands over six feet tall and weighs around 175 pounds. Young giraffes grow quickly and by the time he turns one, he will nearly double in height, the Zoo said.
Iris is an experienced mother. She is 10-years-old, and the Zoo said this is her third calf. Mom and baby are doing well and can be seen at the zoo daily.
They currently reside in a temporary holding area that can be viewed from the giraffe hill in the park. As the baby gets older, he will be introduced to the rest of the giraffe herd and moved into the large habitat.
The reticulated giraffe is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red list, so each birth is important. This species of giraffe has seen a 56% population decline in the last 30 years in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, according to the zoo.
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