Please Welcome the New Baby Giraffe at the Abilene Zoo

Is it just me, or does it seem like the Abilene Zoo has been celebrating the birth of baby giraffes for the past few years? Recently, the Zoo announced to the public the birth of their newest baby giraffe, born on Saturday, July 20th, right in the middle of their Zippity Zoo Day celebration.

What's interesting about this birth is that the baby giraffe's parents, Malaika and Congo, have now welcomed their third calf. Coincidentally, this isn't the first time a giraffe has been born during a special event at the Zoo. A few years ago, another giraffe was born during their Rock and Roar event.

It seems like every time the Abilene Zoo hosts a celebration, a baby giraffe is born. The latest addition is the second tallest giraffe born at the Zoo, just behind her mother, Malaika, who stood 6 feet 7 inches tall at birth.

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The new baby, born six days ago, is also 6 feet 6 inches tall, matching her father, Congo. The Zoo is inviting the public to help name this new member of their family, following the tradition of Swahili names. The three options are Zahara (meaning flower), Uzuri (meaning beauty), and Udadisi (meaning curiosity). Votes can be cast on the Abilene Zoo’s Facebook page, and the winning name will be announced on Friday, August 2nd.

Zoo officials chose these names to reflect the giraffe’s personality traits such as curiosity and beauty, and, for this particular giraffe, also a flower," shared Katelyn Zak, giraffe zookeeper. “We are so excited for the new baby and for our growing herd.” Currently, the baby is bonding with her mother off-exhibit and will join the herd on exhibit soon. Stay tuned for updates on abilenezoo.org and the Zoo’s social media platforms.

In closing, an interesting observation: the zookeepers have noticed that her older half-sister, Sara Ann, has been nuzzling up to the newborn and investigating the new arrival.