When keepers arrived at Switzerland’s Zoo Basel in the early morning on April 1, they were greeted by a brand-new arrival: female Giraffe Sophie had just delivered a healthy baby boy!
A video camera installed in the barn revealed that Sophie became restless at about 4:45 AM and kept looking at her belly. After just a few hours of labor, her calf was born at 7:10 AM. Another female Giraffe, named Kianga, was present during the birth and the calf’s father, Xamburu, looked on. Though both were very interested in the new arrival, Sophie would not allow them to get too close.
The calf, named Majengo, easily walked onto a scale later in the day and weighed in at 123 pounds. He stood about six feet tall. For now, Majengo gets most of his nourishment by nursing, but he has already nibbled on leaves and alfalfa hay.
The Giraffes at Zoo Basel are members of a rare subspecies known as the Kordofan Giraffe. Found in southern Chad, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kodofan Giraffes inhabit some of Africa’s most hostile regions. Only about 3,000 Kordofan Giraffes are thought to remain in the wild. They can be distinguished from other Giraffe subspecies by their pale spots.
See more photos of the rare calf below.