A male Masai Giraffe calf weighing 101 pounds was born on April 15 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

The calf’s parents are mom Jada and dad Bo. Bo came to the zoo in 2017 and this is the first calf he sired since his arrival. Bo is the tallest Giraffe in the zoo’s herd, standing nearly 17 feet tall. His offspring stood nearly six feet tall at birth. The newborn’s height and weight are impressive, but he is actually smaller than the typical newborn male. Some can weigh up to 150 pounds at birth. Therefore, the staff is monitoring the calf closely, although there are no problems so far.

Photo Credit: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

The calf has not yet been named. The zoo plans to announce a naming contest in a few weeks.

The calf will soon join his parents and the rest of the herd in the zoo’s Giraffe exhibit. Zoo guests can hand-feed the Giraffes from an elevated platform.

Wild Giraffes in Africa are in decline, with populations dropping 40% in the last 15 years to a current total of 80,000 individuals.  Giraffes are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Future for Wildlife Fund helps protect giraffes by addressing poaching and illegal snaring, translocating animals to secure endangered populations, and also conducting studies on population and disease.