Ziggy, a female giraffe at the Milwaukee County Zoo looks over at her newborn calf. The calf was born in front of visitors during their exhibition on August 4.
Milwaukee County Zoo
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Milwaukee County Zoo
Ziggy, a female giraffe at the Milwaukee County Zoo looks over at her newborn calf. The calf was born in front of visitors during their exhibition on August 4.
Milwaukee County Zoo
Visitors to the Milwaukee County Zoo witnessed an event that hasn’t happened in front of a crowd since the 1990s; the birth of a giraffe.
Witnesses were able to see mother Ziggy give birth to a male giraffe on August 4.
The animal care worker received a call around 11:40 a.m. that day saying that Ziggy was going into labor while she was outdoors. The staff quickly arrived at the exhibit where Ziggy gave birth to a male giraffe at 12:20; At 1:40 p.m., the calf was up and walking, said Jennifer Diliberti-Shea, media relations coordinator for the Milwaukee County Zoo.
“It all happened so fast,” Diliberti-Shea told NPR by phone. “Witnessing a moment like this can be unusual depending on the animal. We’ve had camels born to visitors there. Giraffes, not so much. We think the last child – and our manager wasn’t here at the time, so we don’t have an exact date – was in the 1990s. So, you know, not an occurrence. popular. “
Jennifer Diliberti-Shea, the media relations coordinator for the Milwaukee County Zoo, said the zoo will leave the naming of the new giraffe to staff.
Milwaukee County Zoo
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Milwaukee County Zoo
Jennifer Diliberti-Shea, the media relations coordinator for the Milwaukee County Zoo, said the zoo will leave the naming of the new giraffe to staff.
Milwaukee County Zoo
The zoo has been in a baby boom phase since spring. New additions include a harbor seal and two monkeys, Diliberti-Shea said. In June, there was also the birth of another giraffe named Poppy.
The unnamed calf is doing well under the supervision of Ziggy’s mother.
Diliberti-Shea said: “I think there were some people who were surprised, I guess that happened during the show and I think maybe that made people a little bit insecure. “And that really shouldn’t be. Because we have all the animal sitters out there, we have veterinarians working. So, you know, as soon as we get the call that This birth was happening, they ran over there. And it was just a matter of trying to get the mother into a more private area, but she didn’t seem too shocked by it or too insecure about it.”
“We just want to assure all the visitors that this little guy is really, really good and nursing,” Diliberti-Shea added.
Diliberti-Shea says reticulated giraffes are endangered and are the source of savannas in Africa.
