Zoo Knoxville is happy to announce that the giraffe calf born on July 1 is a girl!
New giraffe calf; image courtesy of Zoo Knoxville |
The 11-day-old baby is mastering the use of her long legs under the watchful eyes of her mother Frances and her caretakers in the zoo’s Grasslands Africa habitat. Her personality is already starting to emerge; she is described by curator Petty Grieve as inquisitive, adventurous, bold…and sleepy. After her short but energetic bursts exploring her new surroundings in the morning, she retires to the barn for a sequence of nursing and napping.
At this stage in her development she spends the majority of her day sleeping and eating indoors. Her caretakers will be gradually expanding her access to the Grasslands habitat to allow her to become familiar as weather permits. While she has not been formally christened yet, the zoo plans to announce a name soon.