It's a Baby Boy Giraffe, the Fourth for Binder Park Zoo
July 03, 2012
A new arrival at Michigan's Binder Park Zoo is making his debut -- a baby Reticulated Giraffe named Mosi (meaning first-born) can now be seen in their Wild Africa habitat. The 113 pound, 5 foot tall calf came into the world on May 17 and is the fourth Giraffe born at Binder Park Zoo. The first three, also boys, were born in 2009. He brings the Zoo’s herd up to 10, 5 females and 5 males, which continues to be one of the nation’s largest herds of Giraffe.
Mom Kay arrived at Binder Park Zoo in 2011 from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas. Within a few months, zookeepers began to notice changes in her and suspected that she was pregnant. An ultrasound confirmed it and several weeks later Mosi was born. He was very small at birth, but Kay has been an excellent mother and he is doing very well.
“After working with Giraffe for over 17 years, it is still amazing to get up close with these beautiful yet strange animals,” said Jenny Barnett, Binder Park Zoo Director of Wildlife Management, Conservation and Education. “They have an incredible grace about them from the moment they are born.”
Photo Credit: John Grap/Battle Creek Enquirer
Read more about Binder Park Giraffes after the jump:
The gestation period for Giraffes is 14 to 15 months and calves can be up to 6 feet tall at birth. Giraffe babies start off their lives with a 6-foot drop into the world as their mothers give birth standing up. The Giraffe is the tallest land animal and the Reticulated Giraffe is the most well-known of the Giraffe subspecies. Their diet in the wild consists of leaves and small branches of the thorny Acacia and Combretum tress.
Binder Park Zoo offers guests a wonderful chance to have a unique and up close encounter with a Giraffe at Twiga Overlook where Giraffe feeding takes place. The 50 acre Wild Africa exhibit was opened in 1999 and doubled the size of the Zoo. Today it continues to be one of the Zoo’s most popular exhibits. Hand feeding a Giraffe at Binder Park Zoo is a one of a kind experience.