14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this month, a Masai giraffe living in captivity at Safari West in California, US, delivered a healthy male calf. The baby giraffe, named Phoenix, was born on April 14 to mom Jamala and dad Tufani.
Despite being just a few days old, the young giraffe is already about 6 feet (roughly 1.8 meters) tall and weighs a whopping 120 pounds (some 54 kilograms).
Still, keepers say that, when it matures, its size will be way more impressive. Thus, chances are that Phoenix will grow to weigh about 2,500 pounds (1.13 tons) and measure as much as 17 feet (5.2 meters) in height.
According to Zoo Borns, keepers describe it as being very playful and surprisingly lovable. Before giving birth to it, Jamala had three other offspring. Thus, she is an experienced mother and knows how to look after its latest bundle of joy.
The same source tells us that the calf was born at about 10 in the morning, and that it managed to stand about half an hour later. Shortly after figuring out what its legs are for, the baby giraffe walked up to its mother and started nursing.
Keepers say that, once it grows a tad stronger and more confident, they will introduce it to the other giraffes that now live at Safari West.