Giraffe has had two miscarriages at Illinois zoo. Now see video of her new baby girl
Zookeepers at an Illinois zoo learned a giraffe named Arnieta was pregnant in July 2022.
As the 16-year-old reticulated giraffe had experienced two first-trimester miscarriages before, Brookfield Zoo staff began “making every effort to help ensure Arnieta is successful in maintaining this pregnancy and delivering a healthy calf,” according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Now, about one year later, the Brookfield Zoo has announced the arrival of her baby girl.
“The wait is over!” the zoo said on Facebook.
After about one hour of labor, Arnieta birthed a newborn calf — measuring in at about 6-feet tall and 130 pounds — early Saturday, Aug. 19.
Soon after the long-awaited delivery, the “attentive mother” began nursing her calf, according to the zoo.
The mom and her baby will stay behind the scenes for a couple of weeks as they bond on their own, but zoo staff have shared a compilation of adorable videos.
‘An innovative medical plan’
Arnieta conceived with her partner, Ato, twice, but had miscarriages in 2020 and 2021, according to the AZA. It is believed that her losses were due to “a lack of hormone production and/or potentially an infection.”
To ensure Arnieta could deliver a healthy baby, the Brookfield Zoo said she was put on “an innovative medical plan” that included liquid synthetic progesterone and prophylactic antibiotics.
“Due to the dedicated veterinary and animal care staff at Brookfield Zoo along with assistance from reproductive experts at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Arnieta was able to carry her calf to term,” Joan Daniels, senior director of hooved mammal care and conservation for the Chicago Zoological Society, said in a release.
“We hope the collaborative efforts and knowledge gained in caring for Arnieta during her pregnancy will be useful in helping other species with similar reproductive complications have successful births in professional care,” she continued.
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation estimates that about 117,000 giraffes roam Africa, a 30% drop from the 1980s. Reticulated giraffes, one of four species, are endangered.
Brookfield is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
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