Busch Gardens in Florida recently announced the birth of a reticulated giraffe, born on 14th November, 2017. The male calf, named Quinn, was born to mother Celina and was 6 foot tall and weighed approximately 150 pounds at birth. The gestation period for a reticulated giraffe is 15 months, and calves nurse for approximately 1 year. The new mother and baby are currently in an area out of guest view so they can be closely monitored by zoo staff to ensure the baby is nursing and growing properly. The duo will join the other animals on the Serengeti Plain in the next several weeks.
Busch Gardens’ 65-acre Serengeti Plain is a naturalistic habitat featuring a diverse population of free-roaming African animals including giraffes, zebras, white rhinoceros, eland antelope and several other species. All the African animals can be viewed from the Serengeti Express, the Skyride or on a Serengeti Safari.
Reticulated giraffes are found in northeastern Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. In a cooperative effort with other AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) institutions, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay closely manages its giraffe population through a program called the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which works to improve the genetic diversity of managed animal populations. This recent birth brings the park’s reticulated giraffe population to 16.
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