BALTIMORE — Back in January we introduced you to Kipepeo, a now four-year-old giraffe who arrived at the Maryland Zoo in November 2024.
At the time, the Zoo had just revealed her name.
For a while staff kept an extra close eye on Kipepeo to make sure she was adjusting well to a new environment.
MORE: Meet Kipepeo, the Maryland Zoo's newest giraffe
Things were going well, but on March 26 there was a slight change in her behavior.
Turns out Kipepeo was pregnant and about to give birth.
On March 27 she became a first-time mom, to a healthy female calf.
The birth was quite the surprise. The Zoo had no prior record of Kipepeo breeding, and was unaware she was pregnant.
“Gestation for reticulated giraffe is around 450 days so Kipi was pregnant when she arrived in Baltimore,” said Erin Cantwell Grimm, Mammal Curator at the Maryland Zoo. “We’re keeping a close eye on the calf to make sure she hits her growth milestones and, so far, we like what we’re seeing.”
The unnamed baby calf weighs 58 kilograms, standing approximately 6 feet tall.
Zoo staff tells us she's nursing well and are impressed by mama Kipi's mothering.
For now, the Zoo's male giraffe can be seen in the outside habitat, while the indoor Giraffe House closes for Kipepeo and her baby to bond.
