MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Botlierskop Private Game Reserve has welcomed a new giraffe calf on Saturday, 22 May. This is the fourth calf born in the last five years.
The reserve now has 11 giraffes. Game ranger, Bertie Guillaume says giraffes have a gestation period of 15 months.
“The 400-470 day growing period ensures that the calf is developed enough to quickly stand up and move around once born.”
He says when the cow goes into labour, she will stand up.
“When the baby giraffe emerges, it drops to the ground. This fall can be about 1.8 metres, and it helps the giraffe's umbilical cord break.”
At birth, baby giraffes weigh in at about 50 to 70kg and are 1.8 metres tall. The giraffe calf can stand up and walk after about an hour and within a week, it starts to sample vegetation.
Baby giraffes grow up to 2.5cm each day during the first week of their lives, and will have roughly doubled in size by the time they celebrate their first birthday.
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