Seeing Double: Second giraffe born in less than a week at Lion Country Safari
PALM BEACH - It's a boy and, wow, another boy.
Two giraffes were born at Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach less than a week apart.
Shortly after opening on Tuesday, Dec. 27th, the park welcomed a male giraffe calf to its herd. Guests visiting the park had a unique opportunity to witness the incredible birth from their cars.
The calf weighed approximately 150 pounds and stood an impressive 5 feet, 10 inches tall. His mother is an 18-year-old female name Ayanna.
As for the new arrival's name? The drive-through safari park asked the public to vote for their favorite name from a list on its Facebook page and Kandoro was the winner. Kandoro means sweet potato.
Just days later on Saturday, Dec. 31st, a second giraffe calf joined the herd.
Named Kianga, which means sunshine, the calf weighed 161 pounds and stood 6 feet 1 inch tall. Kianga was the first offspring born to 9-year-old mom Ashleigh.
Both calves are spending quality time bonding with their moms in adjacent maternity areas and are visible to guests from the road in the last section of the safari.
Giraffes reproduce year-round, with females giving birth to a single large calf after a gestation period of approximately fifteen months. Calves are usually able to stand and run within a few hours following birth.
Giraffes are undergoing a silent extinction and have experienced a 30% decline in population since the 1980's. As a single species, giraffes are listed as "Vulnerable," on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species and two of the subspecies are now listed as "Critically Endangered."
Lion Country Safari cares for 18 giraffes, one of the largest herds in the country.