Surprising Birth: Giraffe Welcomes a Healthy Baby Girl Unexpectedly!

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Kipi, a 4-year-old reticulated giraffe and first-time mother, had only been at the Maryland Zoo for a few months when she surprised caretakers with her pregnancy

Sarah Kuta – Daily Correspondent

April 10, 2025 1:34 p.m.

On the night of March 26, caretakers at the Maryland Zoo observed unusual behavior in Kipepeo, known as “Kipi,” a four-year-old reticulated giraffe. She was disinterested in food and displayed signs of restlessness, prompting concerns about her health. To assess the situation, the staff decided to monitor her overnight.

The mystery was resolved around 2 a.m. on March 27 when it became evident that Kipi was in labor. Much to the delight and surprise of her caretakers, she delivered a healthy female calf that morning—an unexpected turn of events, given that Kipi had only been at the zoo for a few months, and there was no indication of her pregnancy.

“It was all pretty unexpected, but of course a very happy surprise,” shared Margaret Innes, the general curator at the Maryland Zoo, with the Washington Post.

Kipi transitioned to the Maryland Zoo from a Texas facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in late November and underwent a standard quarantine and acclimatization phase. She was officially introduced to the zoo’s visitors in mid-January, just a few months before becoming a mother.

Innes expressed her excitement, stating, “Now we just need to let everybody know instead of having one new giraffe, we have two,” as quoted in an article by the Baltimore Banner.

The newborn is reportedly doing well and has been bonding with her mother, away from the public eye. Kipi stands at about 12 feet tall, while her calf already reaches about six feet. The zoo team is optimistic about the calf’s growth and development, with reports confirming that she weighs 128 pounds.

According to Erin Cantwell Grimm, the mammal curator at the Maryland Zoo, “We’re keeping a close eye on the calf to make sure she hits her growth milestones, and so far, we like what we’re seeing.”

Kipi has received commendations for being an attentive first-time mother. To accommodate their bonding time, the Giraffe House will remain closed to visitors, though the outdoor area featuring the zoo’s sole male giraffe, Caesar, will remain open. Plans are in place for future introductions, particularly with Kesi, a 14-year-old female giraffe who is keenly interested in the new addition.

The name Kipepeo, meaning “butterfly” in Swahili, was chosen through a public contest. Interestingly, caretakers did not realize Kipi was already expecting upon her arrival in Baltimore; reticulated giraffes have a lengthy gestation period of about 450 days, equivalent to approximately 15 months.

At her previous facility, Kipi had not been noted to breed prior to her transfer, raising questions about how she became pregnant. It is believed that during her time in Texas, she mated with another giraffe in the herd without staff awareness. Due to their large size, giraffes can conceal pregnancies effectively, with hormonal testing of their feces often being the only reliable indicator of their condition.

In the wild, reticulated giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) inhabit regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Notably, the species is facing significant population declines. Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that there are only about 11,048 adults left due to threats like habitat destruction, poaching, and climate challenges. Furthermore, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation reports that more than half of the reticulated giraffe population has vanished over the past 35 years, requiring urgent conservation efforts as the IUCN categorizes them as “endangered.”

The challenges of maintaining giraffe populations are compounded by their lengthy gestation periods and the fact that they typically give birth to a single calf, hampering reproduction efforts amid declining numbers.

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