Columbus Zoo welcomes a male Masai giraffe calf as mother Zuri expands endangered herd

A new calf in Heart of Africa

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has added a male Masai giraffe calf to its Heart of Africa region after a birth to Zuri, a 12-year-old female in the zoo’s giraffe herd. The calf was born on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 2:45 p.m. at the zoo’s Powell campus.

Animal-care staff reported the calf stood and began nursing shortly after birth. A veterinary wellness exam the next day found the calf to be healthy and feeding well. In the early period following the birth, the zoo kept Zuri and her calf in the giraffe barn and a behind-the-scenes yard to support bonding and allow for gradual introductions to other giraffes in the herd.

What the birth means for the zoo’s giraffe program

The calf is part of a multi-year breeding history at the Columbus Zoo. Zuri arrived at the Columbus Zoo in 2013 after time at The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio, and the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas, where she was born. The zoo said Zuri previously delivered a male calf, Ralph, in 2020. That same year, two additional calves, Sammie and Schaefer, were also born and remain part of the zoo’s herd.

The zoo identified the father of Zuri’s calves as Enzi, a Masai giraffe that was euthanized on September 23, 2021, after chronic health problems that did not respond to treatment. Staff described the newborn as an additional continuation of that lineage within the managed population of Masai giraffes held in accredited institutions.

Conservation context: Masai giraffes under pressure

Masai giraffes are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, with the subspecies’ population described as having dropped by nearly 50% over roughly three decades. The zoo linked that decline to multiple pressures including habitat loss, civil unrest and military operations in parts of the range, poaching, and ecological change. The zoo also cited an estimate of about 35,000 Masai giraffes remaining.

Within North American zoo management, the zoo said breeding recommendations for giraffes are guided by an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan intended to support long-term genetic diversity. The zoo also noted Masai giraffes have an approximate 15-month gestation period.

Animal health initiatives and public viewing

Beyond breeding, the zoo said it helps support giraffe health through specialized veterinary initiatives, including a giraffe plasma bank co-founded with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. The program involves collecting plasma from trained giraffes and making it available for transfusions to animals in need, with the goal of supporting young calves’ immune systems.

At the time of the birth announcement, the zoo said guests could not yet view Zuri and her newborn directly, but could still see other giraffes in the herd. The zoo also continued seasonal giraffe-feeding experiences, priced at $5, as part of public programming.

• Birth date and time: August 31, 2022, 2:45 p.m.
• Sex: male Masai giraffe calf
• Mother: Zuri (12 years old at the time of the birth)

The zoo described the calf’s arrival as significant within its giraffe conservation and herd-management efforts, citing both breeding and animal-health programs.