Iowa

Zoo Miami Welcomes Baby Giraffe, the 52nd Born at the Park

Zoo Miami welcomed a baby giraffe Wednesday, the 52nd born at the park in its history.

Sabra, a seven and a half year old giraffe, gave birth to the baby, her third calf. The unnamed baby will undergo a neonatal exam where its sex will be confirmed, although the initial indications show it to be a male, zoo officials said.

The baby and Sabra will remain off exhibit until they have bonded well and can be introduced to the rest of the herd.

Sabra came to the zoo from the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa in November of 2013. The baby's father, Titan, was also born at Zoo Miami in June of 2012.

Giraffe pregnancies last about 15 months and the mother rarely lies down while giving birth, so the baby falls about 4-6 feet to the floor, zoo officials said. Newborns usually weigh more than a hundred pounds at birth and stand nearly six feet tall.

"I am always amazed at the size of the baby that comes out of a giraffe!!" Zoo Miami's Ron Magill said in a statement. "She must have storage up in her neck for her to conceal the size of such a large baby in such a relatively small abdomen!!!"

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