A three-day-old giraffe made her public debut at Perth Zoo today with her famous mother Misha who is known throughout the world thanks to “The Kiss” photo.
Misha has now been captured on camera giving birth to her seventh calf at Perth Zoo.
The images, taken by zoo keepers, shows the birth of the 72kg female calf in the giraffe night quarters at 5.30pm on Monday 16 January.
The as-yet unnamed calf and Misha have been kept off display until now to give them some quiet time and make sure all is well with the calf.
Perth Zoo keeper Bec Wood said the 180cm tall calf was on her feet within 40 minutes of being born and suckling within three hours.
“She found her feet very quickly and is looking strong and healthy,” Ms Wood said.
“Misha is very experienced and calm. The father, Armani, has fathered two other calves and is showing great interest in his latest offspring.”
Perth Zoo is part of a regional giraffe breeding program.
The giraffes at Perth Zoo are Rothschild’s Giraffe which are the most endangered of the giraffe species with only a few hundred found in Kenya and Uganda.
“Since 1995, Perth Zoo has successfully bred eight Rothschild’s Giraffe,” Ms Wood said.
Details of a naming competition for the new calf will be announced shortly.
Perth Zoo also has a new savannah outlook tower providing a once a day opportunity for a small group of visitors to enjoy a special giraffe’s eye view over the African savannah with the chance to feed the giraffe.
The new savannah outlook experience costs $5 and is limited to a maximum of 20 people each morning (under 4s not permitted).
To support the conservation of African animals and other threatened species in the wild, make a donation to Perth Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Action.
Media Contact: Debbie Read 9474 0383 or 0438 950 643
General Information:
- Misha is the mother of seven of the eight calves born at Perth Zoo. She was captured in the famous “The Kiss” photograph welcoming the first of those offspring, Makulu, into the world in 1995.
- There are currently five giraffes (four female/one male) at Perth Zoo.
- There are an estimated 110,000 giraffe in Africa. Their populations have become fragmented through habitat destruction and human activities such as poaching. In some cases, giraffes have become extinct from areas of their former range.
- The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. Its neck has the same seven vertebrae as most other mammals but they are greatly elongated.
- The giraffe’s long neck and legs are one of the most dramatic examples of adaptation, giving these animals access to a food supply that is out of reach of most other herbivores.
- Giraffe also have specialised blood vessels which enable them to lower and raise their head without a sudden drop in blood pressure.
- The normal giraffe life span is up to 28 years in zoos (less in the wild).
- The gestation period is 400–468 days.
- A giraffe’s height at birth is around 165–190cm. They weigh around 47–70 kg at birth.
