It's A Girl: She Weighs 150 Pounds And Is 6-Feet-Tall

PHOENIX, AZ —A baby girl Masai giraffe was born earlier this month at the Phoenix Zoo and was one of three new arrivals at the zoo during a 12-day stretch in late January and early February, according to a zoo spokesperson.

The yet-to-be-named giraffe was born on Feb. 7 and was 6-feet, 15o pounds, according to the zoo. She was the third calf for 8-year-old mother Sunshine and the fourth calf sired by 13-year-old father Miguu, the zoo said.

"The baby is healthy and sticks extremely close to her mother in the giraffe barn," a zoo spokesperson said. "Sunshine is an incredibly protective mother and we anticipate them to stay off exhibit in their barn, bonding for at least the next few weeks."

The zoo said it would announce when the giraffe baby will venture out into its zoo habitat.

According to the zoo, Sunshine arrived at the zoo in 2014 in order to breed with Miguu, who arrived in 2010 from the Los Angeles Zoo.

On Jan. 30, the zoo welcomed an Arabian oryx calf to its herd — also a girl. The calf is the offspring of dam Debbie and sire Justin, the zoo said.

Currently, the baby oryx is in the Arabian oryx habitat along the Africa Trail of the Zoo.

"But her light brown coloring blends into the desert substrate quite well, so she may be hard to see, although she is getting more active as she grows," a zoo spokesperson said.

A few days after the new giraffe arrived, the zoo welcomed a desert bighorn lamb ram to the herd. He is the offspring of dam Shawnee and sire Captain Jack Sparrow.

According to the zoo, Captain Jack Sparrow arrived at the facility in 2019 as a direct transfer from southern Arizona in conjunction with the Arizona Game and Fish Department in order to add founder genes into the Phoenix Zoo's Desert Bighorn Sheep Specials Survival Plan population.

"Last year's successful births of two calves, and one so far this year, are very significant in helping gene diversity to strengthen the health of the species within the Association of Zoos & Aquariums populations," a zoo spokesperson said.

Like the oryx calf, the bighorn ram also is in his habitat.