Update:
5:35 p.m. August 7, 2024: This story updated with more details.
Fort Worth Zoo welcomes baby giraffe
Delilah, a 170-pound ‘pretty tall baby’, joins herd in the savanna yard this week.
The Fort Worth Zoo has announced the arrival of Delilah, a baby giraffe born July 2.
The “pretty tall baby” weighs170 pounds and stands 6 feet 2 inches tall, the zoo said.
For the last month, the zoo has largely kept Delilah behind the scenes while monitoring the calf’s growth and letting her get familiar with her herd.
Hey there, Delilah! 🦒🫶
— Fort Worth Zoo (@FortWorthZoo) August 5, 2024
You might notice a new face out in the Savanna yard beginning today, our new baby girl giraffe calf, Delilah! She was born on the morning of July 2, weighing 170 pounds, and standing at 6’2” – that’s a pretty tall baby! pic.twitter.com/g6Uins2ExY
Delilah made her debut to the public Monday.
According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the average gestation period for giraffes is 453-464 days, or about 15 months.
The usual height of a newborn giraffe is about 6 feet, with females generally being smaller than males. Baby giraffes experience rapid growth and can nearly double their height within the first year.
The foundation states a newborn giraffe begins to suckle its mother’s milk as soon as it can stand, which is why they are born tall. Calves depend on their mother’s milk for about 9 to 12 months. Around 4 months, they start to eat solid food, such as leaves.
Delilah’s mother, Dilly, who is 9 years old, didn’t exhibit the necessary maternal behaviors needed to care for her, the zoo said. Staff intervened and provided bottle feeding to ensure the calf got the nourishment she needed.
Delilah gained 70 pounds in her first month of life, thanks to the team effort, the zoo said. With the addition of Delilah, the zoo’s herd has 10 giraffes.
