Pictured above: A newborn reticulated giraffe cub at the Jacksonville Zoo.
Recently, a zoo in Florida, USA, welcomed the latest birth of a reticulated giraffe baby, this small giraffe stood up with its slender legs about half an hour after birth. Weighing an impressive 150 pounds and standing about 1.83 meters tall, the baby giraffes soon began to breastfeed.
The giraffe cub was born at the Jacksonville Zoo to a 13-year-old Luna mother. It was the agency's first reticulated giraffe born in two years.
The reticulated giraffe is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the wild, the main threats to reticulated giraffes are thought to be habitat loss (due to agricultural change, infrastructure, urban development and land degradation), habitat fragmentation and poaching.
An estimated 15,950 wild reticulated giraffes are found, with a small population mainly in northeastern Kenya, southern Somalia and southern Ethiopia. That's more than 50 percent less than about 36,000 reticulated wild giraffes from 30 years ago.
While the IUCN believes giraffe populations are decreasing, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation says reticulated giraffe populations in northern Kenya appear to be increasing recently due to improved community and private land conservation.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="43" > this slender little giraffe looks healthy</h1>
As shown above: At the Jacksonville Zoo, this baby giraffe stood up shortly after birth.
Luna is an experienced mother and is her 6th child. At around 10:45 a.m. on July 2, the keepers noticed that it was about to give birth, and to give it a quiet environment, they closed the giraffe observation deck. This reticulated giraffe puppy was born at 11:35 a.m.
At 12:06 p.m., it stood up for the first time and started feeding at 12:28 p.m. Luna and the baby giraffes were moved to the barn. Veterinary staff examined the baby giraffe and found it to be a male reticulated giraffe that looked healthy.
Corey Neatrour, assistant mammal ranger at the zoo, said: "This birth was a special experience and we are excited to share it with our guests. Luna and her kids are fine and we look forward to watching this little guy grow up. ”
This is the 44th reticulated giraffe cub born in the zoo's history. The species has been present in this zoo since 1957.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="28" > about giraffes</h1>
Pictured above: At jacksonville Zoo, the giraffe mother Luna and the baby giraffe.
The reticulated giraffe is the tallest animal on land, reaching 5.49 meters tall and weighing up to 1814 kilograms.
No two reticulated giraffes have the same fur pattern. Reticulated giraffes have orange-brown patches, their legs are separated by white threads, and their color darkens with age.
The gestation period for reticulated giraffe mothers is about 15 months. Baby giraffes are born standing, which means that when little giraffes come into this world, they must endure the pain of landing quickly. Newborn baby giraffes can double in height in the first year of life.
Giraffe pups depend on their mother's breast milk for about 9 to 12 months, and they begin to eat solid food (mainly leaves) at 4 months of age.
In the wild, only about 50 percent of the small giraffes survive in some populations due to predator attacks. Reticulated giraffe mothers have a strong desire to protect themselves, kicking these uninvited guests when predators approach their babies.