Another Giraffe Is Born At Houston Zoo

HOUSTON, TX — It's happened again: Asali, a Masai giraffe who lives at the Houston Zoo, gave birth to a baby on Monday. The unnamed youngster is a new playmate for Zindzhi, who was born on April 10 at the zoo to Tyra, another Masai giraffe.

The new arrival, who weighed 148 pounds at birth and stands 6 feet 6 inches tall, will soon meet the public, but is first being given time to bond with her mother. She is the second calf Asali has birthed.

Asali, as she was with her first calf, has been a careful mother, according to zoo officials. Keeper and veterinary teams are keeping an eye on the mother and daughter to make sure the calf is nursing properly.

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It seems that America has gone crazy for the long-necked animals in a big way. In Harpursville, N.Y., April the giraffe finally gave birth to her baby, a boy, on April 15, and more than a million people watched the delivery live on the internet. The Animal Adventure Park, where April and her baby live, is now selling T-shirts that read "I spent March waiting for April" and "I survived giraffe watch."

In Colorado Springs on Tuesday night, Msitu gave birth to a calf, who is yet to be named, at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

"Msitu was a great mom to her first calf, Emy, so she knew exactly what to do when this baby was born," Amy Schilz, animal care manager at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, said. "Since mom and baby appear to be healthy, our vet team has not needed to intervene. It's best to let nature take its course."

Here's a look at Zindzhi:

According to conservation authorities, the number of giraffes in the wild has decreased by 40 percent over the last decade, and it is estimated that fewer than 80,000 giraffes remain in the wild. The Houston Zoo is home to seven Masai giraffes, one of the nine subspecies of the animals.

Giraffes are nature's tallest terrestrial animals; the average male stands 17 feet tall and weighs 2,500 pounds, while females on average are around 14 feet tall.

— Image courtesy Houston Zoo