Baby Giraffe Meets His Father And Herd For First Time—Parents Embrace At The End

Jun 04, 2020 by apost team

On March 27th, 2020, the Santa Barbara Zoo in California welcomed a new baby giraffe. At six feet tall and weighing in at 125.5-pounds, the male giraffe was named Twiga, which means 'giraffe' in Swahili. In a video posted by the zoo on Instagram only two days after the baby's birth, baby Twiga meets his father Michael, and the rest of the zoo's giraffe herd, for the first time. 

Twiga's mother Aida, is just five years old and his father, Michael has been with the Santa Barbara Zoo since 2011. According to The Independent, Michael is an important Masai giraffe for North America because he is only related to his offspring and not other giraffes, which is genetically crucial. The Masai giraffe species is also endangered. 

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Twiga's birth means there are a total of five Masai giraffes in the zoo. However, Twiga's father Michael has sired a total of eight giraffe calves, even thought not all of them remain at the Santa Barbara Zoo. 

In the video, Twiga is seen with his mom Aida as the other giraffes of the herd enter the barn and greet Twiga. They curiously bend their long necks down to meet this new little guy who will soon become part of the herd and roam about the zoo enclosure with them. 

Twiga and his mom will remain in the barn until zookeepers decide they are ready to move out and be more directly integrated with the rest of the herd; this is for baby Twiga's safety and comfort. 

What do you think of baby Twiga? Aren't giraffes so cute? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass on this cute baby giraffe to make others smile!