Utah’s Hogle Zoo celebrated the birth of a new female giraffe on Saturday.
Stephanie, a 4-year-old giraffe at the zoo, gave birth to her first calf at 11:40 a.m. this past weekend. The calf’s father, 17-year-old Riley, passed away in December after previously fathering six other calves with this newborn calf being his final offspring.
Bob Cisneros, associate director of Utah’s Hogle Zoo Animal Care, says that Stephanie was kept under close observation during her 15-month pregnancy and extra precautions and preparations were made so the calf could be delivered safely.
To not interfere with the natural process of birth, Hogle Zoo staff watched by security cameras as the 6 foot calf was born, weighing in at 144 lbs. A press release revealed that labor lasted nearly three and a half hours.
The calf’s name will be selected by a private donor on a later date and will be announced on social media platforms for the zoo. Officials say that if all goes well, guests can see the calf on exhibit as early as one to two weeks.
