Two female Masai giraffes at the Santa Barbara Zoo are pregnant, officials announced. The news comes just a few weeks after their species was declared endangered.
This is the first pregnancy for 5-year-old Adia, who arrived from the Cleveland Zoo in December 2017. She’s due in April 2020. This will be the fifth calf for 11-year-old Audrey, whose last baby came in March 2018. She’s due in July 2020. Giraffes are pregnant for about 15 months. Both Adia’s and Audrey’s calves were sired by the zoo’s male Masai, Michael.
“The number of Masai giraffe in the wild is significantly declining, and the population under human care here in the U.S. is relatively small,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, the zoo’s vice president of animal health and care. “So every single giraffe born at the zoo helps keep their species genetically diverse and thriving.”