A new member of Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo family was welcomed this week with the birth of a giraffe calf.
The healthy baby boy was born through natural birth early Monday at 1:38 a.m., standing at birth at 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 139 pounds.
The calf was born to his mother, Minka, and father, Ja. It’s the first birth for mom, and the zoo said the calf has quickly bonded with Minka and began nursing.
“[The calf] has shown a calm, curious demeanor and responded well during his first health checkup and routine care,” the zoo said in a news release, “qualities that will support future training.”
While it was a natural birth, zoo staffers were on hand and created a soft-landing area to cushion the calf’s 6-foot drop during delivery. Soon after his birth, the calf began walking independently. Mom and baby will have some quiet time alone for a while and will not be immediately visible to zoo guests.
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