Toronto Zoo’s baby giraffe set to make public debut

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The first signs of spring are upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with an adorable baby — even if she is 6-foot-4.

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The Toronto Zoo welcomed its new bundle of joy, a female Masai giraffe calf, on Feb. 22, and the tyke is set to make her public debut this week.

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After a long, cold winter — and a sad one, as male giraffe, and father to the yet-unnamed baby, Kiko, died earlier this year — the zoo’s new addition marks a new chapter.

For the Zoo’s CEO, Dolf DeJong, the giraffe calf arrived at the perfect time. “I think all of us need some good news stories like this little girl represents, with all the news that we have out there. So we hope she can be a little ray of hope for a lot of folks.”

As zoo staff and visitors are still mourning the loss of Kiko, who died following an accident at the zoo, bringing new life comes at a time of transition. “We have these peaks and we have these valleys and the loss of Kiko is certainly a real tough time for everybody involved and that work continues honouring him and understanding everything that took place there. And then at the same time … this youngster arrives, and we have a duty to honour her, too,” DeJong explained.

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Speaking of perfect timing, while baby long legs and mom Mstari will be available to view only for members of the zoo on Wednesday and Thursday, the pair will be unveiled to the public on Friday — just in time for March break.

While it wasn’t a planned arrival, DeJong did say it worked out well. “This wasn’t planned, but to have this little baby here just before March break after the apocalyptic winter we’ve had, we hope people will take advantage of this incredible site and get outside for March break. It’s good for your physical health walking around, and it’s also good for your mental health to be outdoors.”

Mstari is no stranger to motherhood, and she never strays far from her little one. “She’s a phenomenal mom,” DeJong said. Her first female calf, Amani, who now lives at the Calgary Zoo, was a favourite for many zoo visitors. “It’s interesting because those who knew Mistari before she was a mom, she almost seemed to, dare I say it, settled down a little when she became a parent. She’s hypervigilant, and we can see her right now, paying attention to us, focused.”

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As Mstari swished her tail and flicked her large ears, baby girl was completely relaxed. “You can see our little girl there. She’s not got to worry in the world, because she knows mom’s looking out for her.”

As an endangered species, every Masai giraffe birth is important to the overall health of the species. According to DeJong, there are only about 35,000 Masai giraffes left, and captive breeding through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan ensures the best genetic matches are made for continuing a species at risk. As part of the SSP, the zoo’s role is critical in ensuring longevity of a species.

So far, baby long legs appears happy, healthy and strong. “That first year is incredibly challenging where we still have a ways to go. You can see the umbilical cord drying up on the little girl. That’s one of those key things early on, if infection’s going to creep in, it’s often through that — where they’ve been receiving all their nutrients for 15 months. We like where that’s going, we like the zoomies we’re seeing. She’s curious. She’s inquisitive. She seems to be really strong in nursing well. So, we’re really liking the signals we’re getting from this little girl right now.”

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Name game

While little girl giraffe settles in to her new role as Chief Cuteness Officer at the zoo, visitors are in charge of choosing her new name. A selection of names is available for the little one, including “Binti” (daughter), “Imara” (strong, firm, resilient), “Nyota” (star), “Neema” (grace), and “Sanaa” (beauty/art.) Users can navigate to TorontoZoo.com and select the name of their choice. According to DeJong, “We worked with the Kenyan Consul, to make sure we had names and meanings that reflect our reverence and care for these individuals, and also respect for the community they came from.”

Mstari and baby will be viewable in the zoo’s giraffe house to members on Wednesday and Thursday, and the public on Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., although zoo staff say this may be subject to change, depending on the giraffes. For tickets or more information, visit TorontoZoo.com.

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