Masai giraffe calf makes debut at Los Angeles Zoo

Iman Palm
·2 min read

The Los Angeles Zoo has welcomed a new addition to its Masai giraffe herd.

The still-unnamed male calf weighs 174 pounds, is six feet and four inches tall, and was born to a 12-year-old female giraffe named Zainabu and an 11-year-old male giraffe named Philip, zoo officials announced Monday.

  • Masai giraffe L.A. Zoo
    The Los Angeles Zoo welcomed a new addition to its Masai giraffe herd. (l.A. Zoo)
  • Masai giraffe L.A. Zoo
    The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the giraffes as endangered since their population has declined 50% within the last 30 years. (Los Angeles Zoo)
  • Masai giraffe L.A. Zoo
    Guests can see the new calf and the rest of the herd at their habitat in the zoo’s Africa section, depending on weather conditions. (Los Angeles Zoo)
  • Masai giraffe L.A. Zoo
    The unnamed male calf weighs 174 pounds, six feet and four inches tall, and was born to a 12-year-old female giraffe named Zainabu and an 11-year-old male giraffe named Philip (Los Angeles Zoo)
  • Masai giraffe L.A. Zoo
    Masai giraffes can grow up to 18 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds, making them the largest giraffe species and the tallest land mammal. (Los Angeles Zoo)

“We were happy to have a safe and healthy delivery of the newest arrival to our giraffe herd. He was standing, walking and nursing within 90 minutes after birth!” Mike Bona, an animal keeper at the L.A. Zoo, said in a statement.

Female giraffes are typically in gestation for about 15 months before giving birth to a single calf. The calf then grows about three feet in its first year and can reach its full height by age 5 or 7, zoo experts said.

Masai giraffes can grow up to 18 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds, making them the largest giraffe species and the tallest land mammal.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the giraffes as endangered since their population has declined 50% within the last 30 years.

Masai giraffes’ population has decreased mainly due to habitat loss and illegal hunting, They are poached for meat and products containing their tail hair, hide and bones, a news release from the L.A. Zoo said.

The giraffes are native to central and southern Kenya and Tanzania in Africa.

Guests can see the new calf and the rest of the herd at their habitat in the zoo’s Africa section, depending on weather conditions.

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