Masai giraffe born at Santa Barbara Zoo as last offspring of Michael

The Santa Barbara Zoo is celebrating the recent birth of its newest family member, a 6-foot, female Masai giraffe born to Adia and Michael, a 16-year-old male Masai giraffe who was humanely euthanized in February after battling a degenerative joint disease.

“We are always excited to welcome another calf to our herd, but this one carries extra special significance, as she is the last offspring of our beloved giraffe Michael, who we lost earlier this year,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, vice president of Animal Care and Health at the zoo.

Michael was considered to be the most genetically important male Masai giraffe in North America, as he was only related to his offspring. He sired a total of 12 calves at Santa Barbara Zoo.

“As we witness this calf’s strength and vitality, we are reminded that Michael’s legacy lives on, and our important work surrounding the conservation of this species continues,” Barnes said.

According to a zoo spokeswoman, Adia was in active labor for approximately three hours, and the calf’s legs were first observed around 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2 and she was born later that day.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is celebrating the recent birth of its newest family member, a 6-foot, female Masai giraffe born to Adia and late Michael. At her first medical exam, the calf weighed 152 lbs. and measured approximately 6-ft-1 inch tall.

Contributed

The spokeswoman said the calf, who has yet to be named, was standing approximately 23 minutes after bith, is nursing, and appears strong and healthy.

At her first medical exam, the calf weighed 152 lbs. and measured approximately 6-ft-1 inch tall.

Adia, 9, and her third calf are now bonding behind the scenes in the giraffe barn, and the new mother is showing excellent maternal behavior, Barnes said.

Masai giraffes are known to be listed as an endangered species due to their significant decline in numbers in the wild in recent decades. The number of Masai giraffes in human care in the U.S. is reportedly relatively small, and the Species Survival Plan manages the population to ensure that it is healthy and genetically diverse so that the population thrives.

The zoo’s animal care team reports that when the time is right and the calf and Adia are ready to leave the giraffe barn, the new calf will be introduced to the rest of the heard.

The Santa Barbara Zoo’s Masai giraffe herd now numbers five with the addition of the new calf, along with Theo, Adia, Audrey, and Raymie. 

The public is invited to participate in the naming of the new calf through a voting contest, with details to be announced on the zoo’s social media pages, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

At his first medical exam on Jan. 20, the calf weighed 71.4 kg — or 157 pounds — and measured approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, according to the zoo’s animal care team.

The Santa Barbara Zoo recently welcomed three-year-old male Masai giraffe, Theo, who arrived from the Cincinnati Zoo as part of the Masai giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP).

Lisa André covers lifestyle and local news for Santa Ynez Valley News and Lompoc Record, editions of the Santa Maria Times.