A Female Masai Giraffe Calf Born 2017
A female Masai Giraffe was born at the LA Zoo on July 11, 2017. The unnamed calf, weighing in at 156 pounds and standing at around six feet tall, is the second baby born to both five-year-old mother, Zainabu, and five-year-old father, Phillip. Zainabu and Phillip were paired together through a Species Survival Program (SSP) that breeds Masai giraffes in order to ensure the survival of a species that is threatened in the wild.
Giraffes are the tallest land mammal, and Masai giraffes can grow up to 17 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds. The largest of the nine subspecies of giraffe, Masai giraffes are found in East Africa, namely southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. All giraffe populations throughout Africa are under threat and declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal hunting, and disease.
Read MoreGiraffes are the tallest land mammal, and Masai giraffes can grow up to 17 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds. The largest of the nine subspecies of giraffe, Masai giraffes are found in East Africa, namely southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. All giraffe populations throughout Africa are under threat and declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal hunting, and disease.
