Look what we found this week, a new born giraffe calf with its umbilical cord still attached! The giraffe’s gestation period is approximately 15 months (453 – 464 days). Giraffe give birth in a ‘’calving ground’ and mothers will often return to where they were born to have their own babies.
There is no formal breeding season but sometimes giraffe will give birth in synchrony to better chances against predation. Giraffe give birth standing up, requiring the newborn to fall just under 2 meters (6ft) to the ground! The new born calf can stand up and run within an hour of being born. It is an average height of just under 2 meters and weighs around 100kg. Calves are reliant on the mother’s milk for 9 – 12 months, but will start eating solid food (leaves) from about 4 months.
