Baby Giraffe Born At Jacksonville Zoo
POSTED: Thursday, July 9, 2009
UPDATED: 6:53 pm EDT July 9,
2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has announced the birth of a male reticulated giraffe calf. It was born on July 7 at 6:07 p.m.
Zoo officials said the calf weighs 128 pounds, is five and one-half feet tall and is doing well.
This is the fifth offspring for the mother, Zawadi, a 15-year-old that came to Jacksonville from Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
The calf's father is Duke, the nearly 12-year-old patriarch of the giraffe herd, who has sired three of Zawadi's four other offsprings since coming to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
This is the 28th giraffe born at the zoo. It now has nine giraffes in its collection.
A big celebration is planned in nearly two weeks.
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