Despite a difficult start to life, the baby giraffe showed a great deal of tenacity and zest for life. Two weeks after birth, it can be seen by visitors to the Prague Zoo. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
The little female was born at the beginning of the month. Until now she was with her mother in the back of the African House due to the insufficiently stable position of her left thoracic limb, which manifested itself soon after birth. Now the baby northern Nubian giraffe can be seen at the Prague Zoo. Movement on a firm surface and the exemplary care of the mother played their part and resolved the complication without the intervention of a veterinarian. The new Baby will be introduced to the indoor exhibit and then to the rest of the herd. The cub’s mother is the female Faraa, while the thirty-fold father became the posthumous male Johan.
“The year of attractive and breed-wise significant young is far from over here. A small giraffe has been added to the gorillas, orangutans, wombats, and sloths,” says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “The famous male Johan mated the female Fara in April last year, so we then closely followed the first signs of Fara’s possible pregnancy. After one year, two months and twenty-nine days, Johan’s last, thirtieth offspring in total was born.”
The cub is the 30th offspring of the male Johan, the 86th giraffe cub at the Prague Zoo and the 99th giraffe in the history of the breeding of these ungulates at the Prague Zoo. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
For experienced giraffe mother Faru, the little female is already the fourth cub. After the birth, which lasted until four o’clock, the cub began to stand up briskly. However, it soon became apparent that the left sternum is significantly bent backwards in the carpal joint. Nevertheless, the female moved very confidently and also drank from her mother. Thanks to the thorough sucking of breast milk and controlled movement, the leg began to gradually strengthen, to the delight of the breeders, and the posture was corrected on its own.
Visitors can observe the giraffes – including a two-week-old baby – in the African House pavilion at the top of the zoo. In the adjacent enclosure shared with zebras, ostriches, and several species of antelope, the cub will look only after it gets used to indoor exposure.
A small female Northern Nubian giraffe stands next to her mother Fara in the background of the African House pavilion. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo