Springfield, Mo. – A male giraffe was born this afternoon a little after 1:30 p.m., at Dickerson Park Zoo. The mother, Kamili, will be 12 years old in August; this is her sixth calf. Kamili gave birth in the zoo’s exhibit yard while curious zoo guests and watchful zookeepers observed.
The opportunity for the public to participate in naming the calf will be announced tomorrow on the zoo’s Web page and Facebook page (http://www.dickersonparkzoo.org; facebook.com/dpzoo).
Kamili was born at Utah’s Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City in August 1999. She came to Dickerson Park Zoo when she was 14 months old. The calf was sired by the zoo’s long-time breeding male, Stretch; Stretch died last December. A giraffe’s gestation is between 14 and 15 months.
Guests can view Kamili and her calf in the exhibit yard along with Gidget and Billie, a 17-month-old female. Three giraffes are in an adjacent yard.
