Just six months ago, Melbourne Zoo welcomed the birth of Tambi, an adorable giraffe. Now, Tambi is a big brother! A sweet male giraffe was born with a spectacular drop at 1:44pm on Sunday February 1, six months to the day that Tambi was born. This new calf has sprung into the world, thanks to first-time mother Iris, and seven-year-old dad Klintun. This is also the second giraffe calf to be born at Melbourne Zoo in almost 20 years.
Second giraffe calf at Melbourne Zoo
Five-year-old mum Iris is now bonding privately with her bub, after a two-and-a-half hour labour. The calf, weighing 84.6kg, was born almost 10 kg heavier than Tambi, who came out at 75kg. The baby will walk on to explore the rest of the habitat and meet the rest of the herd later in the week.
“It has been an amazing year for the keeping staff, first welcoming our first calf in nearly 20 years, and now a second, it has been an absolute joy to have been a part of – and lots and lots of work!” said Melbourne Zoo Ungulates Coordinator Luke Hausler.
Mother and son are progressing well. Iris immediately knew what to do, giving her baby some gentle nudges and licks on the head. The calf took a while to work out where to find his milk, initially suckling on mum’s neck. Finally, he figured it out, and is now getting his milk with gusto.
“[The birth is] not only incredible for the giraffe population in Australia and for us here at Melbourne Zoo, but it is also a great win for the herd social dynamics for all members of the herd,” said Hausler. The two mums will now be able to help each other care for their calves, and the two calves will be able to play together. Tambi will also help the little one learn and express new behaviours.
The cute calf doesn’t have a name yet, but you can keep an eye out for updates via social media. Please note, this baby is still bonding with mum in private, and is not available for viewing from the public.
Meanwhile, Tambi is still utterly adorable, doing zoomies and staying curious about the world. He currently weighs over 200kg, and you can see him and the rest of the giraffe family at Melbourne Zoo.
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