Baby Giraffe Born At Milwaukee County Zoo: See Photos

MILWAUKEE, WI — A reticulated giraffe gave birth to a female calf at the Milwaukee County Zoo in the early morning on May 27, the zoo announced on Thursday. The unnamed calf was born to mom, Marlee, and dad, Bahatika.

Zoo veterinarians examined the calf and recorded her weight at 164 pounds and height at 6 feet tall, the zoo said in a statement. Zookeepers haven't seen the calf nurse during the day, but said she was "spunky and strong," a sign she was eating fine.

The giraffe building is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily as the calf becomes familiar with her surroundings, the zoo said. Giraffes don't like loud noise, so zoo volunteers will help with noise control.

This is Marlee's third calf and her most recent, the zoo said. One of Marlee's daughters, Maya, was born in 2018 and became part of the zoo's current herd.

Marlee is 10 years old and arrived at the Milwaukee County Zoo in 2013 from Zoo Miami, the zoo said. Bahatika is 17 years old and arrived at the zoo in 2006 from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado.

In the wild, giraffes are often found in the savannas of Africa and their numbers are in rapid decline, the zoo said. Their status on the global of threatened species was updated from "Least Concern" to "Vulnerable," according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.