r/giraffes

First-time mom. First-time dad. One newborn. And the zoo caught the moment they leaned in together. Utah’s Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City announced the birth of a healthy male giraffe calf on January 26, 2025. The newborn weighed 139 pounds and stood 5 feet 8 inches tall at birth. His mother, Minka, a first-time mom, delivered naturally in the zoo’s African Savanna barn. At the same time, the animal care team monitored the birth both in person and through donated surveillance cameras. Giraffe calves enter the world by dropping roughly six feet from a standing mother. The zoo team prepared for the delivery by building a cushioned landing area to soften the fall. Once the calf hit the ground and found his footing with help from caregivers, he began walking independently within minutes, a key early indicator of health and strength. The father, a bull named Ja, was later introduced to the calf in a moment captured in the now-viral photo of both parents leaning over their newborn.