Here is an exciting account of the giraffe birth from Ashley Roth of our hoofed stock team.

“Just before 5:00 p.m. on Saturday July 14, 2012 Tyra, our 14 year old female giraffe went into labor. A few short hours later, Tyra successfully gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He was standing on his own about 45 minutes after he was born. The calf weighs 163 pounds and stands about 75.5 inches tall (which is 6ft 3 inches). Though this is calf number seven for Tyra, it is the first calf for our 5 year old male, Mtembei. Mom and calf spent some time off exhibit for the first couple days to allow them time to bond. They have now been introduced to the rest of the giraffe herd and ostriches and will continue to be on exhibit daily.

Prior to the birth, keepers were keeping a close eye on Tyra, knowing that the giraffe gestation period is about 14 months. The keepers knew Tyra could give birth from the second week of July until the beginning of August. Monitoring her udder development was significant in determining how close she was to her due date.  The birth went very smoothly. Tyra began showing signs of labor early in the afternoon and was separated into a holding yard to allow her privacy as well as a safe environment for the calf. Keepers were nearby to monitor her throughout her labor, but were confident that Tyra would do well, as she always has in the past.

As soon as Tyra gave birth, she began grooming her calf periodically while he was lying down. As soon as the calf was on his feet, Tyra was more attentive to cleaning him off. The rest of the giraffe herd stood by, watching everything from the exhibit side of the fence. Mtembei in particular seemed observant while the calf made his attempts to stand on his own. The entire hoofed stock team is delighted to have this new addition to the giraffe herd and look forward to watching him grow. ”

More Posts Like This!

• Witnessing the Birth of a Giraffe at the Houston Zoo I had the honor of capturing baby giraffe Asali’s birth on film last week for the Houston Zoo’s YouTube Channel....
• Help Us Name Our Baby Giraffe! We are proud to announce the birth of a ­­male Masai giraffe. Mom Tyra delivered the healthy male calf shortly...
• New Baby Giraffe Born! Our newest and tallest addition, a male Masai giraffe will make his public debut this Saturday, March 2, with his...
• The Zebras Move in with the Giraffes The Houston Zoo has something new in the African Forest – zebra! Our two zebra, Charlie and Image, are joining...
• Bundle of Bongos Born at the Zoo! Over a span of six weeks, from mid-February to mid-March, we welcomed three baby bongos into the Houston Zoo wildlife...