Neck and neck and neck: Zoo welcomes third giraffe calf
After a devastating COLUMBUS — breeding season in 2018 in which two calves died, the giraffes at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium havebounced back with three successful births this year.
The zoowelcomed its latest endangeredMasai giraffe calf, a nearly two-week-old female named Sammie, on Dec. 9, it announced Tuesday. Thecalf’smother is Digi, a 9-year-old giraffe.
The other calves are Ralph, a male, born June 28 to 10-year-old Zuri, and Schaefer, a female, bornAug. 26 to 19-year-old Jana. Zoo donors named both calves this week.
A10-year-oldgiraffenamed Enzi is the father of all three calves.
All of the giraffes at the Columbus Zoo are currently in a behind-the-scenes barn as theHeart of Africa region is closed for theseason. It will reopenwhen theweather is warmer, typically in May.
Sammie is strong and alert and was fully standing and nursing shortly after her birth, according to her keepers. She is Digi’s second calf.
Digi also birthed a calf named Zoey in 2016 at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where she lived before she arrived in Columbus in 2018.
Throughout its history, 23 giraffes have been born at the Columbus Zoo.
“It’s always an incredible achievementtowelcomeone giraffe into theworld, but to welcome three — especially in one year — is truly a testament to the expertise and knowledge of our dedicated care team,” said Tom Stalf, the zoo’s president andCEO.
In 2019, Masai giraffes, the largest giraffe subspecies, were declared endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their wild population has declined by 50% in the past 30 years to about 35,000 because of factors such as poaching, habitat loss and civil unrest.
All giraffes are considered vulnerable, and baby giraffes are especially at risk. Only about 75% survive in human care, and 50% in their wild habitats.
The Columbus Zoo supports the conservation of giraffes in their wild habitats through fundraising and has collectedmorethan$216,000 in the past five years.
TheWilds, a 10,000-acre conservation park the zoo operates near Cumberland, about80miles eastofColumbus, also welcomed a male Masai giraffe calf Aug. 4.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a nonprofit group of more than 230 accredited institutions in the U.S. and abroad, including the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds, recommends breeding pairs for endangeredspecies. The group uses Species Survival Plans to track the genetic history of its animals and to recommend the best mates.