Giraffe born at GaiaZOO

The animal caretakers of GaiaZOO were delighted with the birth of a giraffe cub on Monday, November 8. The birth of this giraffe had been eagerly awaited for months. The last time a long-necked giraffe was born in the Limburg Zoo was seven years ago. Add to this the fact that giraffes have a gestation period of no less than fifteen months and the wait for the birth is long. It is the fourth time that the female giraffe gives birth to a young. For GaiaZOO’s male giraffe, however, it is the first offspring. He arrived at the zoo in South Limburg as a young giraffe in 2018.

Quite a birth
“The birth of a giraffe is quite a delivery,” explains hoofed animal keeper Myrthe van Braam. “For me it is the first time as a zookeeper that I get to experience such a birth.” Giraffes give birth standing up, and the young will fall as much as nearly two feet to the ground at birth. Although this seems quite intense, the fall is very important to get the breathing started. During the fall, the young turns so it doesn’t fall on its head. The cub, a female, is doing well. “She is standing firmly on her legs, looks around curiously and we have already seen her drinking! That’s a good sign,” says van Braam. Young giraffes suckle for over a year on average, after which they can search for food on their own.

Anyone who wants to admire the young giraffe can already visit the zoo in Kerkrade. In the coming days, all giraffes will remain in the stables, so that mother, baby and the other giraffes can get used to each other. Then, when the weather is good, the little long-necked giraffe can explore the zoo’s savannah together with her congeners. Only when she knows her way around will the other inhabitants of the savanna get to know the newcomer. Read more about giraffes in GaiaZOO here.

No name
A frequently asked question in the zoo is: what will the giraffe’s name be? Because giraffes are not pets, it was decided not to give the young animal a name. At least not to the outside world. The use of animal names is, of course, indispensable in GaiaZOO’s operations. Animal caretakers use animal names among themselves to be able to discuss the various individuals of a group and in the daily care of the animals. However, the use of a name does not have much meaning for a visitor, as most visitors do not (re)know individual animals. Although the animals in GaiaZOO are used to people and several species respond to their names when their zookeeper calls them, GaiaZOO considers them to be wild animals. They are part of a large, European group with the goal of maintaining a genetically diverse population for the long term. Therefore, no names of individual animals are communicated by GaiaZOO.

Risks of giraffes in the wild
Giraffes live in the wild on the vast savannas of Africa where they eat leaves from trees. The savannah can be dangerous for a young giraffe. Shortly after birth, the youngster therefore tries to stand up immediately. Usually, after an hour, it can already walk with its mother. During the first weeks, the young giraffe hides from predators among the bushes during the day. The mother always stays nearby to protect her young. In total, about 117,000 giraffes still live in the wild. That seems a lot, but this is about 40% less than thirty years ago. The reason is that pieces of forest are cut down and savannas disappear for agriculture and mining. As a result, there is less and less habitat for giraffes and populations are becoming isolated from each other. They also increasingly live in unprotected areas, where giraffes are hunted for their long tail hairs. These are used to make bracelets that are sold to tourists as souvenirs.

Live images of the giraffe in GaiaZOO
Follow the giraffe cub from home and watch the live stream. Click here. Still prefer to see it with your own eyes? Book a date and time slot through the website. GaiaZOO is happy to welcome you.