Singapore Zoo welcomes first giraffe baby in 28 years

Singapore Zoo welcomed its first giraffe calf in 28 years, which is also said to be the "tallest baby" when the nation celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence, according to a press release by Wildlife Reserves Singapore on Thursday. The giraffe calf, born on Aug. 31, is 1.9 metres tall at birth. It is the first offspring of both mom Roni and dad Growie, which arrived in Singapore Zoo in 2005, from Israel and the Netherlands respectively. During the calf's first month, zookeepers kept them separated from the rest of the giraffe herd to allow mother and baby to bond, and to ensure the calf was nursing properly. The calf has since been growing quickly as it now spends days exploring and running around in the exhibit at the Zoo's Wild Africa zone. "Animal babies are always a cause for celebration as they are a good indication that the animals under our care feel comfortable and secure enough to breed in the environment that we've created for them. We hope the calf will tug at visitors' heartstrings and inspire them to find out more about giraffes, and other animals that thrive in the same environment as these majestic creatures," said Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, chief life sciences officer of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. To celebrate the birth of the calf, Wildlife Reserves Singapore plans to conduct a naming contest to find a suitable name for the little one in coming months.