Ostrava Zoo Welcomes Surprise Giraffe Calf — First in 11 Years

On 7 July, Ostrava Zoo welcomed an unexpected new arrival: a male calf of the rare and endangered Rothschild's giraffe subspecies. According to zoo spokeswoman Šárka Nováková, this is the first offspring for the five-year-old mother and the first giraffe birth at the zoo in 11 years.

Giraffes give birth standing up, meaning newborn calves drop to the ground from a height of 1.5–2 metres. This isn't dangerous for the calf, as keepers make sure to line the enclosure with a thick layer of hay and straw beforehand. The calf was born strong and well-developed, standing on its own feet shortly after birth. It measures roughly 180–190 centimetres tall.

The mother is attentively caring for her calf, and the pair are already exploring a small outdoor enclosure, keeping their distance from the rest of the herd for now. Visitors can currently only spot the newborn from afar — either from the viewing platform above the African hoofstock enclosure or during a ride on the safari express.

Ostrava Zoo has been breeding Rothschild's giraffes since 1987, with the first calf born there in 1991. Over the years, 17 giraffes have been born at the zoo, 16 of which survived. The last addition to the herd came in 2015, after which a long gap followed: the older animals gradually aged, prompting keepers to seek out younger giraffes to keep the breeding programme going.

The first young female arrived in Ostrava from Prague Zoo in 2020, joined a year later by a male from Poznań Zoo. In 2023, two more young females arrived from the Dutch safari park Beekse Bergen, completing a herd of animals all at prime breeding age. Yet, despite this, breeding simply wasn't happening.

As it turned out, the male himself was the reason. "The male was smaller in size, which made mating difficult. We never once observed a successful mating," explained hoofstock breeding inspector Ivo Firla. In agreement with the coordinator of the EAZA giraffe breeding programme, it was decided last year to swap the males between institutions.

In early July last year, the Ostrava male was transferred to a bachelor group in Jihlava, and in his place came an experienced eight-year-old male from Liberec Zoo, where the giraffe house is currently undergoing reconstruction. He settled in with the females quickly, and keepers weren't expecting the first calf until autumn this year — but nature had other plans.

"The father of the calf is definitely the previous male, otherwise the birth would have been significantly premature. The calf is strong and well-developed, though," noted Ivo Firla. To give the mother peace and quiet during her first experience of motherhood, the "African Animals" pavilion has been temporarily closed to visitors.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz