Virginia Zoo Welcomes New Baby Giraffe

NORFOLK - The Virginia Zoo has announced the long-anticipated birth of one of its newest additions-a 6-foot-tall baby giraffe.

After two hours of labor and a 6-foot headfirst drop, giraffe parents, 10-year-old Billy and 9-year-old Imara, welcomed their new baby into the world yesterday at 4:20 p.m.

Several visitors had the opportunity to watch the entire labor and birth.

"This healthy birth marks an exciting milestone for our giraffe collection," says executive director Greg Bockheim, who adds that this is the second birth for Imara. Her last offspring, Willow, now lives at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida.

"The idea of a six-foot drop sounds scary to people, but it's normal for a giraffe," explains Bockheim. "It helps stimulate breathing to get the baby on its own and since baby giraffe can be 6-feet tall and 150 pounds, the fall doesn't seem so far to them."

Newborn giraffe can stand and walk within 1 hour of birth, and they can start eating leaves at 4 months old.

The new baby has been given a preliminary checkup and appears to be very healthy.

Mom and baby can be viewed by Zoo visitors now.

The zoo will announce a baby naming poll  at a later date.

Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-virginia-zoo-giraffe-birth,0,1572019.story