Zoo Liberec's First Baby of the Year is a Tall One!
January 09, 2012
Zoo Liberec, in Liberec, Czech Republic, welcomed a female Rothschild Giraffe calf on Saturday January 7. This first birth of the year for the Czech Zoo has zoo officials very excited, and visitors will soon be able to visit the calf in person. Rothschild Giraffes are one of the most endangered Giraffe subspecies, with only a few hundred left in the wild. It has recently been proposed that this breed of giraffe is actually a separate species of giraffe entirely.
The distinguishing characteristics of Rothschild Giraffes from other Giraffe subspecies include the markings on it's pelt. While reticulated Giraffes have clearly defined dark patches separated by whitish channels, the Rothschild Giraffe, like the Masai giraffe, exhibits less sharply defined dark patches and creamier hued dividing channels. It also gives the appearance of wearing stockings, since its spots don't continue below its knee joint. The Rothschild Giraffe subspecies has a total of five horns: two on top of its head, a third horn in the center of its forehead, and two more behind its ears.