HOUSTON — Houston zookeepers got quite a surprise over the weekend.
On Saturday morning they arrived to find a baby giraffe. The baby boy was born early in the morning to mom Kamili.
Zoo officials said the little fellah is thriving under his mother’s care.
While zookeepers knew that 9-year-old Kamili was pregnant, the exact delivery date for her approximately 14-month gestation remained a mystery, officials said.
The male Masai giraffe weighs 160 pounds and stands six feet tall. He has been named Tino by the Gordy family who are longtime supporters of the zoo.
As he matures, Tino could reach a height nearly matching or surpassing his 16-foot-tall father, 6-year-old Zawadi.
Tino will spend mornings with the herd in the McGovern Giraffe Habitat, and afternoons continuing to bond with his mother behind the scenes.
The Houston Zoo provides funds for local people in Africa to protect giraffes in the wild. These funds provide salaries to those arresting illegal hunters, providing medical support, and watching over wild giraffes in Africa.
By visiting the Houston Zoo, guests help save Masai giraffes in the wild as a portion of every admission ticket is donated to conservation efforts protecting species, like giraffes, in their natural habitats.
