Monarto Safari Park

Monarto Safari Park is a non-government conservation charity, every visit, adoption, donation and ticket helps to save species from extinction.

Second giraffe calf born in six weeks!

We’re so excited to announce another newborn giraffe calf has joined our herd!

Born yesterday morning to fifth-time mum Kinky, this adorable new addition marks the 46th calf bred at Monarto Zoo.

This new bundle of joy comes just weeks after fellow herd-member Myeisha gave birth to a little boy.

Monarto Zoo Keeper Kat Ferres said the baby appeared to be doing well and was settling in with the rest of the herd.

“The little calf stood fairly quickly after it was born and now appears to be well-looked-after by mum Kinky and the other giraffes,” Kat said.

“Kinky has had four calves before this one and is once again proving to be a good mother.

“A new baby is always very exciting, but it also makes for a wonderful time to visit and watch as the rest of the herd welcomes the young ones.

“Myeisha’s baby boy is now about a month old, and with Kinky’s newborn it’s pretty special to see so many different ages and sizes all together!”

Sadly, giraffe are facing trouble in the wild which makes this new calf an important contribution to the breeding program working to save the species.

Habitat loss, poaching and civil unrest has seen giraffe numbers plummet from around 155,000 in 1985 to about 70,000 today.

As a conservation charity, Zoos SA is committed to continuing our successful breeding program to ensure these gentle creatures remain for generations to come.

“Giraffe are facing a bit of trouble in the wild, so this little one is already playing an important role as an ambassador for the species,” Kat said.

“We are very proud to have successfully welcomed 46 calves at Monarto, and this newborn is another great contribution to giraffe conservation.”

Zoos SA is also proud to partner with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to raise funds for Twiga Tracker, the largest giraffe GPS satellite tracking programme ever in Africa to learn more about giraffes’ spatial movements and habitat use in the wild.

This project has local groups in Uganda working to save the Nubian Giraffe, a unique subspecies that is vital to maintaining genetic diversity within the world’s giraffe population.

Visitors should be able to get a glimpse of the newborn giraffe at the Waterhole viewing platform or on the Zu-loop bus.

About Zoos SA

Zoos SA is a not-for-profit conservation charity that exists to connect people with nature and save species from extinction.

Zoos SA acknowledges the Country on which we stand always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land and we pay our deepest respect and gratitude to Kaurna (Adelaide Zoo) and Ngarrindjeri (Monarto Safari Park) Elders, past, present and emerging.

We undertake critical conservation work throughout Australia and acknowledge the traditional custodians of these lands.

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