A healthy female giraffe was born in Zoo Miami on Tuesday evening — the 57th calf in the zoo's history, according to a news release.
Zoo Miami staff members were able to quickly separate the calf from her nearly 12-year-old mother Sabra on Wednesday morning so that a neonatal exam could be performed.
Neonatal exams are part of a preventative medicine program directed by the Animal Health Department in conjunction with the Animal Science Department, according to Zoo Miami.
The neonatal procedures allow the staff to perform hands-on examinations of the newborn to confirm details like the sex and weight. The staff confirmed that the calf stood over 5 feet tall and weighed approximately 120 pounds at the time of the exam.
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The staff also collected a blood sample, inspected the umbilicus, conducted general eye and ear exams, injected vitamins, and inserted an identification transponder.
After conducting an overall assessment of general body condition, the zoo reported initial indications that the calf is healthy. She was quickly returned to her mother in an off-exhibit area.
The calf and her mother will remain isolated together for an unspecified amount of time until the staff feels that the calf is ready to be introduced to the rest of the herd.
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Sabra, the calf's mother, arrived at Zoo Miami in 2013 from the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. This is her sixth calf.
According to Zoo Miami, female giraffes like Sabra are pregnant for approximately 15 months. During birth, the mother rarely lies down, if at all, and the newborn falls four to six feet to the floor.
The calf's 5-year-old father, Malcolm, arrived in 2018 from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. This is his fourth calf.
