The Virginia Zoo welcomed a new baby giraffe on Thursday when a male calf was born to mother Imara and father Billy.
The baby giraffe, as yet unnamed, weighed 152 lbs. and measured 75 in. tall at birth. Since giraffes give birth standing up, their newborns can drop up to 6 ft. during the birthing process—but within a few hours, the calf was on his feet and walking around. So far, mother and son both seem to be healthy.
The zoo says Billy is a “genetically important” father for the Masai giraffe species, and the birth is significant for the giraffe population in North America, which is just over 100. The Masai is the tallest mammal species on Earth, and as a male, this newborn can expect to grow 18 ft. tall.
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