Baby giraffes enter the world via a 6-foot, head-first plummet. To ensure a calf born at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday had a smooth landing, animal-care staffers at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium rolled out a giraffe-barn equivalent of a red carpet: a soft cushion of sand, wood chips and mulch. It was certainly a special occasion. The last time the zoo welcomed a giraffe calf was nearly 20 years ago, in 1999. In fact, between 2005 and the opening of the Heart of Africa region exhibit in 2014, there were no giraffes at the zoo. "This is huge for us, for the zoo and for giraffes in general," said Shannon Borders, curator of the Heart of Africa area. Borders said she and others have spent months excitedly and nervously preparing for the moment when 8-year-old Masai giraffe Zuri would give birth behind the scenes. Other preparations included packing plastic totes with blankets, towels and bottles, in case they needed to intervene and hand-raise the baby. So far, the calf appears to be thriving, staff members said. But the animal care team can't rest just yet. A second Masai giraffe, 6-year-old Cami, is also pregnant and due any day. With two pregnant giraffes delivering within days and through other programs, Columbus is becoming known for its care of giraffes. Through a partnership with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, it established the nation's first giraffe plasma bank last year to provide transfusions to struggling newborn zoo giraffes. Hooved mammal babies obtain nutrients from the mother's colostrum, the antibody-rich milk produced during their first few hours of nursing. After a couple of days, babies can no longer absorb antibodies. So if a calf is sick or isn't nursing, it's best if a life-saving plasma transfusion, which can provide an immune system boost, happens quickly. Veterinarian Priya Bapodra-Villaverde has been banking plasma from three of the zoo's donor giraffes in case its own calves need a transfusion, she said. Staff members will be monitoring the calves through cameras. That's why they haven't gotten close enough to the newborn yet to determine its sex. The first birth occurred on a live video feed associated with the National Geographic program "Secrets of the Zoo," which features the Columbus Zoo. A feed featuring both Zuri and Cami is still live at giraffebirthcam.com. Giraffes due dates typically span a large time frame, Borders said. The births were expected between late August to late October, based on regular health screenings of the expectant mothers and the time frames in which they bred with Enzi, the zoo's 8-year-old male giraffe. Giraffes typically are pregnant for about 15 months and calves are born weighing about 100-150 pounds. Zuri, Cami and Enzi have been at the Columbus Zoo since its Heart of Africa region opened in 2014. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a nonprofit group of more than 230 accredited members in the United States and abroad, recommended that the animals breed because of their good genetic makeup, close proximity and the Columbus Zoo's capacity to care for the calves, said Sheri Horiszny, coordinator for the association's giraffe Species Survival Plan. There are currently only 120 Masai giraffes in 33 North American zoos (though there are more than 450 total giraffes of various subspecies). Ideally, at least 150 Masai giraffes would help sustain the population and genetic diversity of that subspecies, Horiszny said. Life is tough for baby giraffes, which have a mortality rate of 25 percent in captivity and more than 50 percent in the wild, Horiszny said. That somber fact hit close to home recently. The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center the zoo operates 75 miles southeast of Columbus, near Cumberland, lost a 2-month-old baby Masai giraffe in early September. A preliminary necropsy, or animal autopsy, discovered the calf had fat atrophy, despite nursing. Final results haven't yet been released. Baby giraffes often experience metabolic issues, Bapodra-Villaverde said. The species as a whole is vulnerable in its native ranges of Africa, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Giraffe populations have decreased 40 percent since the 1980s because of many factors, including habitat loss, poaching, ecological changes and military operations and civil unrest in the areas where they live. "Hopefully, being close to these little babies will be heartwarming for our visitors and inspire them to care a bit more about the plight of the giraffe in its native range," Baproda-Villaverde said. awidmanneese@dispatch.com @AlissaWidman<doc-sep>The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a new giraffe.The zoo announced 8-year-old Zuri delivered a calf early Tuesday. The sex of the calf has not been released. The delivery was captured on a National Geographic webcam.For a live feed from the two giraffe stalls, click here.In July, the zoo said Zuri and 6-year-old Cami were pregnant.Zuri has been at the zoo since 2013. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a new giraffe. The zoo announced 8-year-old Zuri delivered a calf early Tuesday. The sex of the calf has not been released. The delivery was captured on a National Geographic webcam. Advertisement For a live feed from the two giraffe stalls, click here. In July, the zoo said Zuri and 6-year-old Cami were pregnant. Zuri has been at the zoo since 2013.<doc-sep>The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a new giraffe. The zoo announced 8-year-old Zuri delivered a calf early Tuesday. The zoo says her father, Enzi, is an 8-year-old Masai giraffe. The sex of the calf is not yet known. The delivery was captured on a National Geographic webcam. It is the first giraffe calf born at the zoo in nearly 20 years and another is expected. In July, the zoo said Zuri and 6-year-old Cami were pregnant. Cami and Enzi also mated and the zoo says Cami's calf appears to be growing steadily. The zoo says both mothers, and Zuri's calf, are being closely monitored. Zuri has been at the zoo since 2013.<doc-sep>
Zuri and her new calf are living in an enclosure with another female giraffe who will give birth to her own baby soon Columbus Zoo Welcomes First Baby Giraffe in Close to 20 Years (and Caught It All on Camera) Just in time for trick-or-treating, a new giraffe calf has arrived at Ohio’s Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The baby giraffe, who arrived around 4 a.m., is the first giraffe calf born at the zoo in close to 20 years. Eight-year-old Zuri is the proud mom to the new arrival. According to the zoo’s Facebook, the calf, whose sex is still unknown, is already up on its feet and nursing from mom, who carried the calf for 15 months. All of this adorable action and the birth itself was captured on the live camera the zoo has situated in Zuri’s behind-the-scenes enclosure. Fans of precious baby animals can keep track of the new giraffe calf through the zoo and National Geographic‘s giraffe birth cam. Giraffes are around 6-ft.-tall and weigh about 100 to 150 lbs. when they are born. The zoo doesn’t know the specifics of Zuri’s calf yet, since they are allowing the mom to bond and nurture her baby solo, before stepping in for a check-up. The facility is monitoring the pair through cameras in the enclosure to make sure there are no emergencies. Both Zuri and her baby appear to be happy and healthy. giraffe-1 Credit: Courtesy NatGeoWILD and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium The mother-child duo aren’t completely alone: They are sharing an enclosure with Cami, another female giraffe who is expecting a calf in the near future.