Houston zoo welcomes baby giraffe

(8/15/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- There's a brand new member of the Houston Zoo family.

A baby Masai giraffe was born at 3:30pm Sunday. She weighs 109 pounds, and stands 5'9" tall. The mother is Noel and the father is Kiva.

So far the baby giraffe hasn't been named. Houstonians are invited to guess which name the keepers will choose by visiting houstonzoo.org.

"While Masai giraffes are not threatened or endangered in their native habitat, there are only 70 of them in North American zoos," says Rick Barongi, Houston Zoo Director.

Giraffe breeding at the Houston Zoo follows guidelines established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Population Management Plan (PMP) program.

Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animal. The average male is about 16 feet tall and can weigh 3,000 pounds, while an average female is over 14 feet tall. The average gestation or pregnancy for Masai giraffes is 14 months.

A baby giraffe's horns, or ossicones, lie flat against the skull when it is born and pop upright during the first week of life. The horns are entirely covered with skin and have black tuffs of hair.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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