Six Flags Wild Safari Welcomes New Baby Giraffe

JACKSON, NJ — It's been a baby boom at Six Flags Great Adventure's Wild Safari: the safari staff is celebrating the birth of four giraffes in the last year, Six Flags officials announced Monday.

Sierra, the latest calf, was born June 2, park staff said. She was introduced Monday when she and her mother, Muraya, joined the Wilde Plains section of the safari.

The other young giraffes — Phyllis, Embu and Soda — are now part of a dozen giraffes in the safari. The Wilde Plains section includes 10 different species of African animals, including white bearded gnu (also known as blue wildebeest), eland, and blackbuck.

"Sierra is over 200 pounds and will likely grow to be 1,500 pounds," said Dr. Ken Keiffer, the safari veterinarian. "She is the latest in an exciting string of giraffe births here at the safari, and we are thrilled that all four calves are being raised by their mothers."

Though calves are typically about 6 feet tall when they are born, adult male giraffes can reach 18 feet, making them the tallest mammals in the world.

The calves are all reticulated giraffe, also called Somali giraffe, which are native to northeastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and Somalia.

"Reticulated giraffes have distinctive coat patterns featuring red-brown patches divided by thin white lines. Their spots are unique like a fingerprint, which is how we can tell them apart," Keiffer said.

The park shared other fun facts about reticulated giraffes:

• A group of giraffes is called a "tower;"
• Giraffes can stand and walk within an hour of their birth — they even sleep and give birth standing;
• Giraffes have seven vertebrae in their extremely long necks, which is the same amount of vertebrae humans have in their necks; and
• Their tongues can be 18 inches long to help reach tree leaves.

In the wild, giraffes are currently undergoing what is referred to as a "silent extinction event." Their numbers have decreased by nearly 40 percent in the past 30 years, placing them in the "Vulnerable to Extinction" category as determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Six Flags Wild Safari is home to 12 giraffes.

The Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure takes guests on a self-guided journey through 1,200 exotic animals from six continents from the safety and privacy of their own vehicles. Guests must purchase tickets and make a reservation in advance of their visit using Six Flags’ new online registration system.

The park has added a free audio tour that park visitors can stream online that provides fun facts about 70 different species of animals at the safari. Guests can learn more about the animals and their habitats, purchase tickets, make reservations, and stream the audio tour at www.sixflags.com/safari.

Fun Facts About How Giraffes Measure Up:

• Taller than traditional double-decker busses;
• Two times taller than ostriches;
• Two times taller than the world’s tallest man, Robert Wadlow;
• Two and a half times taller than the average Christmas tree;
• Two and a half times taller than superstar basketball player Shaquille O’Neal;
• Taller than three stacked refrigerators;
• Six times taller than General Tom Thumb; and
• Taller than 14 stacked bowling pins.

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