(KCPW News) Salt Lake City is now home to a six-foot-tall baby girl… who happens to be a giraffe. The new giraffe was born at Hogle Zoo a week and a half ago and is now out for everyone to meet. Primary Giraffe Keeper Cindy Segneri says Kipenzi, the nine-year-old mother, was pregnant for 14 months before starting to deliver while out on exhibit.
“Her birth was pretty sudden,” Segneri said. “About 11:30 we got a call over the radio that there was a little foot coming out. We pretty much don’t do anything though, mama was outside on exhibit, a nice sandy surface so that was an ideal place for the baby to be born since when the baby is born it does drop out about five feet onto the ground.”
The zoo hasn’t picked out a name for the baby giraffe yet. In fact, they have haven’t even weighed her. Keepers say they try to not interfere with the mother and baby bonding during the first several days. But, they say her personality has already started to come out.
“She is very curious, very curious about everything,” Segneri said. “We have a radio playing for her. It appears that she likes country music. She focuses in on the radio when country music is playing and not when other stuff is playing.”
There are now four giraffes at the zoo. Riley, the father was sent to the Oregon Zoo a few months ago due to limited space while construction begins for the African Savannah, a new expansion at Hogle Zoo. He will return once construction is complete in 2014.
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