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News Release
| For Immediate Release |
Meet the Fort Worth Zoo’s new giraffe calf
Zoo debuts new male giraffe calf today
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FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth Zoo welcomes a new giraffe calf to its herd! The 6-foot-3 inch calf is the third male member of the Zoo’s herd. The Zoo also houses one adult male, a 1-year-old male and three adult females.
Over the last 20 years, the Zoo has facilitated 13 successful giraffe births, including this one. Since his birth, he has received more hands-on care than previous calves, and is being bottle-fed by keepers. Similar to what sometimes happens in the wild, the calf’s mother separated herself from him at birth. Later, he will rejoin her and the rest of the Zoo’s giraffe herd in their African Savannah exhibit.
At his adult height, he can measure as much as 18 feet tall, and have a prehensile (used for grasping) tongue as long as 18 inches! In addition to distinction of their long necks, giraffes’ markings are different on each individual – similar to a human fingerprint.
The Fort Worth Zoo has housed giraffes in its world renowned animal collection since 1952, when the Zoological Association purchased a 3-year-old calf named Topper. The Zoo’s most recent giraffe birth was a male calf named Stretch born in March 2006.
The nationally ranked Fort Worth Zoo was recently ranked the number one attraction in the Dallas / Fort Worth area by Zagat survey. Home to more than 500 animal species and a world-famous reptile collection, the Zoo supports more than 20 conservation projects around the globe. The institution’s focus on education and conservation is second to none, enhancing the lives of more than 1 million visitors a year.
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For Further Information Contact:
Lyndsay Nantz Hoover, PR/Development Director
lnantz@fortworthzoo.org
Remekca Owens, Communications Manager
rowens@fortworthzoo.org
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