Baby Giraffe Born At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Monday Morning Is A Girl!
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -- A giraffe was born Monday morning at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Zookeepers weren't even sure that Bailey was pregnant, but she gave birth around 11:40 a.m. Bailey is 8 years old and this is her first calf.
At 1:15 p.m. the baby still hadn't stood up yet and Bailey was standing by, watching closely, and giving it lots of kisses.
Zookeepers left them alone for about an hour and a half, but the baby was struggling to stand up and fell a couple times.
At about 1:30 p.m., zookeepers moved Bailey out of the stall and stepped in to help the calf stand.
Once the calf was standing, the keepers exited the stall and let Bailey back in. They said Bailey was doing everything a mother should be doing.
Zookeepers noted that the calf was shaky on its feet, but said that was normal for an animal that stands so quickly after its born.
While the keepers were in the stall they were able to take a closer look at the calf and announced that it's a girl!
Zookeepers say the female calf is one of the tiniest they've seen -- only about 100 pounds and 5-foot-6. But she's healthy and strong and her mom is taking wonderful care of her.
"You couldn't ask anything more of a first-time mom," the giraffe animal care manager said. "Bailey is nonstop grooming her baby, paying attention and making sure the baby is in a good position to nurse. Mom is doing a great job."
Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, the calf will be named after she is 30 days old.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has the largest reticulated giraffe herd of any North American zoo.
