SANTIAGO (Reuters) – The Santiago Zoo in Chile has a new resident: a male giraffe calf weighing almost 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and measuring 2 meters (6.5 feet).
The baby giraffe was presented to the public on Wednesday and the zoo has launched a contest to help pick the new giraffe’s name.
The giraffe was born on June 19, after nearly 15 months of gestation and five hours of labor. The giraffe was born to Jany, a female giraffe who will provide breast milk for the calf until it’s able to feed on branches and leaves. After reaching adulthood, a giraffe can measure up to 6 meters (almost 20 feet) and weight up to 2 tonnes.
“A giraffe birth is always going to be good news, it’s a species and subspecies that face a high threat level,” said Andrea Caiozzi, general coordinator of the zoo. “Therefore it is a way to contribute to the care of the species, to its protection and also to the education of children and their families.”
(Reuters TV report, written by Natalia Ramos; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
