Baby giraffe at Saint Louis Zoo

The Saint Louis Zoo's newest addition, a reticulated giraffe just about two weeks old, is standing tall. Born on September 10, 2010, he weighs about 136 pounds and stands over 6 feet tall.

This is the seventh calf for Susie and Dexter, who has sired 13 calves altogether. Mother giraffes are very affectionate and protective toward their babies, touching and licking them frequently. Susie's gestation period was about 15 months.

The giraffe is the tallest living land animal, with females reaching a height of 14 to 16 feet and males towering at 16 to 18 feet.

Reticulated giraffes are threatened in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting, and this rare subspecies is found only in the Horn of Africa. The Saint Louis Zoo's WildCare Institute supports field conservation of reticulated giraffes in northern Kenya through the Northern Rangelands Trust.

For more information on giraffes, visit http://www.stlzoo.org/animals.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• giraffe
• cute
• baby
• calf
• Saint Louis Zoo
• zoo
• baby animals

[hollywoodblond1]

Aww, it's sooo cute!!!