A 5-day-old giraffe calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is receiving specialized care at the Safari Park’s Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center. The male calf, born Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, was observed having difficulty nursing from his mother. After close assessment in the field exhibit, the animal care and veterinary teams decided to relocate him to the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center for supportive care and a diagnostic evaluation.
Once at the hospital, the calf was anesthetized for a complete exam and CT scan of his head, chest and pelvis. “Advanced imaging confirmed inflammation in the calf’s nasal cavity and throat region,” said Lauren Howard, associate director of veterinary services at the Safari Park. “It was not possible to confirm the cause of the inflammation; trauma during birth or an early infection are considered the most likely causes. The calf recovered well from the anesthesia and is in stable condition, receiving appropriate treatments and daily veterinary care. We want to give this calf the best opportunity to thrive.”
Because the inflammation has affected nursing, to provide the calf with the nutrition he needs, the animal care team made the decision to hand-rear and bottle-feed the calf. To make the calf as comfortable as possible, animal care staff rub an animal print blanket on the mother in the field and use this blanket during the calf’s bottle-feedings. “When the calf smells his mother’s scent, it stimulates him—and he is more likely to take the bottle from us,” said Eileen Neff, senior keeper, San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Once the calf is stabilized, the animal care team will take steps to ensure he is given the opportunity to develop proper social skills to successfully integrate into a giraffe herd.
he is so cute I never ever seen a cute bady giraffe
I was horrified to watch the after birth of this beautiful G calf. I was afraid he would be trampled by the others. So glad to hear he is doing well under your undivided attention, skill and love! Thank you all for the care you give all of your animals and in particular, these baby G’s!
LOL But it’s a ZEBRA print…. just struck me funny.
Poor little rascal. His right front knee looks swollen compared to his left. He doesn’t have navel I’ll, too, does he?
This doesn’t explain why baby and mother were separated. Why is the calf not allowed to nurse from the mother in isolation?
Beautiful baby giraffe. keep me posted and send pictures of how he’s doing. Thank you and God Bless you all.
He’s just so perfect and I’m sure he’ll continue to grow and thrive under you’re specialized care. God Bless you all 🙏
Wow Thank you so much for the update. That lil Guy is so cute.. God bless your team and I hope that we will all see him again. He is a cutie for sure. Please keep us updated if you can and show a new video of him . We all would love to see him. Thanks again keep growing strong sweetie
Thank you so much for the update on the newest member of the Giraffe herd. Thrilled that he is doing better and hopefully on the way to joining the rest of the herd. So love all Giraffe’s!
Thank you all for your expert care of the little member of the herd.
Thank you so much for this latest update! I am glad he’s doing well!
Hello,
Just wondering How baby Boy G is doing?? Like myself I am a giraffe lover. I hope he is doing well and feeding ..
Please keep us updated on The baby boy
Blog Monitor’s note: We have reached out to his caregivers and the veterinary staff with everyone’s questions and will post replies when we have information. However, knowing that they are all very busy and he is not the only animal they care for, we hope everyone will understand it will require patience on all our parts. 🙂
UPDATE FROM VETERINARY STAFF:The giraffe calf has been steadily improving during his stay at Harter Hospital. Our staff of veterinarians have informed us that he is medically stable and the initial medical concerns are resolving. He receives 4 bottles per day and has a strong nursing response. On his initial evaluation he weighed 73 Kg and is now up to 84 Kg in less than two weeks.
The Keepers have been giving the calf access to outdoor stalls at the hospital during the day and he will get what the keepers call “happy feet” when he first goes outside as he hops and kicks around the yard.
The animal care team will continue to monitor the calf’s health and development, with the goal of ensuring that he is given the opportunity to develop proper social skills to successfully integrate into a giraffe herd in the future.
Please update the progress of this sweet little boy. It has been a while and there are us crazy giraffe people that would like to see him and keep track of his progress. Does he have a name yet? Thank you very much for taking the time.
Blog Monitor’s note: We have reached out to his caregivers and the veterinary staff with everyone’s questions and will post replies when we have information. However, knowing that they are all very busy and he is not the only animal they care for, we hope everyone will understand it will require patience on all our parts. 🙂
UPDATE FROM THE VETERINARY STAFF: The giraffe calf has been steadily improving during his stay at Harter Hospital. Our staff of veterinarians have informed us that he is medically stable and the initial medical concerns are resolving. Happy to report that he is now on 4 bottles per day and has a strong nursing response. On his initial evaluation he weighed 73 Kg and is now up to 84 Kg in less than two weeks.
The Keepers have been giving the calf access to outdoor stalls at the hospital during the day and he will get what the Keepers call “happy feet” when he first goes outside as he hops and kicks around the yard.
The animal care team will continue to monitor the calf’s health and development, with the goal of ensuring that he is given the opportunity to develop proper social skills to successfully integrate into a giraffe herd in the future.
I haven’t seen any updates about Acacia’s calf for awhile. How is he doing? I watched his birth. He’s so sweet!
Can we please get an update on the BABY G?
Blog Monitor’s note: The giraffe calf has been steadily improving during his stay at Harter Hospital. Our staff of veterinarians have informed us that he is medically stable and the initial medical concerns are resolving. Happy to report that he is now on 4 bottles per day and has a strong nursing response. On his initial evaluation he weighed 73 Kg and is now up to 84 Kg in less than two weeks.
The Keepers have been giving the calf access to outdoor stalls at the hospital during the day and he will get what the Keepers call “happy feet” when he first goes outside as he hops and kicks around the yard.
The animal care team will continue to monitor the calf’s health and development, with the goal of ensuring that he is given the opportunity to develop proper social skills to successfully integrate into a giraffe herd in the future.
Can the baby still be seen on the cam?
Blog Monitor’s note: No, the calf is in the vet care area…no public-streaming cameras there.
What would be the reasons why he couldn’t go back to the herd he was born in?
Blog monitor’s note: That’s the outcome we’d like! But we’ve found in the past that placing a youngster in his situation with another, slightly older giraffe in an area with a barrier between them and the rest of the herd, allows the little one to learn giraffe behavior, social cues and ‘rules’ before joining the whole group of very big animals! And a buddy will ease the transition/introduction to a herd.
I was wondering what had happen to this handsome lttle one – so glad that he is under your special, loving care!
Is there any bond between mother and calf? Will they be reunited? What are ramifications for mother having calf taken away. Do they mourn thinking baby died? When baby is introduced to herd will mother recognize him?
Thanks.
Blog Monitor’s note: These are excellent, although complicated questions, because we can’t know what is going on in the mom’s head. However, she had been spending less and less time with him, walking away, which is one reason the keepers took him in to be checked. She hasn’t shown any signs of searching for him. As for if they will recognize each other later, we don’t know and probably wouldn’t be able to know. Giraffe behavior/interactions have subtle nuances that we don’t understand fully.
Please post more updates on the Giraffe calf. This encourages support if your Safari Park and the Giraffe breeding program. So many people watched him being born. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to educate this fan basem
Blog Monitor’s note: When we get updates, we will post them. No new updates at this time.
Awww he’s so cute! Thank you San Diego Zoo for realizing so quickly he had a problem and for intervening before he got really sick.
Thank you so much.. I was wondering if it happen when he got kick from the other G”s ?? I guess me working in the medical field as well. I just thought so many times he got kicked down and I think one time he was step on.. Could that be the issue.. I was really worried about this lil guy not so lil any more LOL. He is a big lik guy now .. I know you have the ability to bring this little cutie around. For him being unstable with his gate is that because of not enough nutrients from the mom?? I hate to see another G Euthanized . MY prayers and thanks go out to each and everyone of you . N prayers that our lil guy can go back with his mom..
Thank you for the update
I Just happened to log in to the giraffe cam in time to see this lovely calf shortly after his birth. A female was rubbing his head with hers. Then she turned away and mom started cleaning him. I watched as he stood for the first time. Then I saw the one keepers truck drive up and was amazed to see another keeper on foot chase the one female away by banging a leaf rake on the ground. Another truck came into view, so I had a hunch that the birth might have been a little earlier than expected. I am pretty sure that keepers prefer to have the soon-to-be giraffe moms in a boma for the birth and so the pair can bond in peace. It was a privilege to see the calf stand for the first time. He seemed a bit confused but he did nurse a bit from mom until the bull came over to see him. The confused calf tried to nurse from him. He stomped his front feet and then lifted a hind foot to discourage the calf. Then he left the scene and finally, the calf was able to get a good, long nursing time from mom. The giraffes were coming over to see him, the pair moved out of camera range but it was getting too dark to see anything.
Now I know why I have not been able to spot him again other than Monday morning after. I thought maybe the keepers had moved the pair into a boma but the hospital? I know he will get the best of care. Are there no plans to reunite him with his mom when he gets better?
I shared the news of the birth with the StarrRanch Owl watchers group. They were delighted to hear of it. I shall update them on this. I am not hopeful with the barn owl pair we are observing this year. The male is very poor at bringing prey to the female. He often steals her food and there have been some real fights over the prey. Last week on one day, he did bring her something now he’s back to stealing.
Blog Monitor’s note: The little fellow was obviously struggling, hence the decision to move him to the hospital where we could best determine and meet his health needs. If/when our vets feel he’s ready to be reintroduced to the herd, they will work with our keepers to make that happen smoothly.
What is there about drinking from the bottle that makes it easier than from Mom? I’m so sorry he’s having problems but glad he was able to get away from the bully bull! You all were terrific at keeping him safe when he was born I have no doubt you’ll take excellent care of him now! ❤🦒🙏
Blog monitor’s note: Keepers are able to select the nipple that makes it easiest for him to feed until he gets stronger.
Is the mother going to be able to reunite with him? She must be missing him!
This is so interesting ! What happens to mama’s milk? Do giraffes pump? That is a bizarre question lol. Also, do mom and baby get bonding time to be together even If nursing isn’t successful?
Thanks !
Blog Monitor’s note: The mother will stop making milk due to the calf no longer nursing. Unfortunately, the little male will not be going back to the field habitat in time for the mother and calf to continue to bond. We have raised and reintroduced giraffe calves back into the herd before and they’re accepted by all.
Will he be able to rejoin the herd if he is being bottle fed or will he need to wait until he’s weaned? How long do giraffes usually nurse? He’s adorable!!
Blog Monitor’s note: We have been able to do this before with Baridi (click to read his story!). However, it’s important to keep in mind that every animal, and every case is different, so we all just have to wait and see. Oh, and giraffe calves may nurse for six to nine months, although they start nibbling leaves at around four months of age.
Once again we are reminded how fragile giraffe calves are. Would anyone know if there has been research on this population? I believe this is the 3rd or 4th who has had this problem recently. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence – it’s too early to do research on the latest ones, I suspect. But, I wonder if this has been identified as a possible “complication” to watch for in baby giraffes. He’s in the very best place – Fingers crossed and prayers for sweet little one. With mama close by, he will do well. She took charge when he was born – hoping she is able to send a little hug now and then.
Blog Monitor’s note: We watch for complications in all animal offspring, even while the mother is in labor. While we have had other giraffe calves that needed assistance in the past, the vast majority do just fine in the field with their mother and the herd.
Love this little guy!! I too watched him being born on cam and know he has that, “never give up spirit! <3
The keeper's are doing what's best for him!
Thank you for the update… hugs and prayers to all… and hopes that
we will see him with him mum and herd soon!
What a sweet little guy. When he was born he looked like he was thriving and getting milk from mom. The first thing mom does is clean out the nostrils of the baby calf because it is full of fluids. I know he is getting the best care. Animal keepers have a deep passion for their animals. He will survive and become an essential part of sustaining the endangered population.
Aww,such an adorable little guy!!Thank you for all the hard work you do.This little one knows he is loved by all of you & knows you are helping him to become a strong bull in the future.God Bless him & all of you!!
Why take him away from his mother? Can’t you still feed him but let him keep bonding with mom?
Blog monitor’s note: Due to the dam spending less and less time with him in the field and his desire to nurse decreasing, the calf was pulled out of the enclosure. As he was observed having difficulty nursing, the veterinarians performed a number of tests to ascertain what his medical issues were. He is now taking a bottle regularly and if this continues and we see that the inflammation dissipates, we will relocate him form the Harter Hospital to another area where keepers will continue to care for him. As he will not be weaned for at least eight months he will eventually be moved out to the boma in the giraffe enclosure so he can be with a younger giraffe and learn how to be a giraffe.
Thank you for giving this little guy a chance.
are you going to put him back in his moms herd
Blog monitor’s note: That’s our long-term goal…just many steps before we get to that point! 🙂
I’m so impressed with the care you have shown this baby. I am praying he will recover and be his very best. I loved watching him trying to keep up with the herd. He is a fighter for sure!!! Thank you all so much for be such wonderful caretakers for all of these precious gifts.
DID HE GET THE COLOSTRUM FROM MOM RIGHT AFTER BIRTH? I KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR BABIES!
All my prayers from Kentucky if there is anything we can do please ask
I so hope for her full recovery
Xoxo little one 🌈💕💐🍼🍼
I don’t suppose his mom is happy, and I can’t believe once he is better you won’t give him back to his mom.
Blog Monitor’s note: One reason he was taken to the hospital is because his mother was spending less and less time with him in the field and his desire to nurse was waning. He’s taking a bottle well, and if he continues to improve, we will relocate him form the Harter Hospital to another area where keepers will continue to care for him. As he will not be weaned for at least eight months he will eventually be moved out to the boma in the giraffe enclosure so he can be with a younger giraffe and learn how to be a giraffe before being carefully introduced to the herd and be able to live amongst them.
What an extraordinary opportunity to care for a baby giraffe. When i was a young girl, my grandfather took me to the San Diego Zoo on my birthday. I always dreamed of working there.
Today. I’m a Registered Veterinary Technician in GA. I work in small animal medicine, but have never lost my interest in Zoo medicine.
My husband and I are traveling to CA beginning of March 2019, for our son’s wedding. His gift to me, is to take me to the San Diego Zoo at Balboa Park…. my childhood favorite.
Is there any possibility of getting a behind the scenes tour?
He is absolutely adorable, thank you so much for taking such good care of him. I watched him be born via the giraffe cam. Im watching from New Brunswick Canada. Does this sweet boy have a name yet?
He’s as cutie! Best wishes, baby,!
So glad you took him in to get him off to the best start possible. He is so handsome!