TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A giraffe calf was born in England and recently got to go on his first outdoor adventure on Thursday at a zoo outside Chester.
“Stanley” was born earlier in August and video of his outdoor expedition was provided by TMX.
According to TMX, the calf fell more than 6 feet into a bed of straw after a 15-month pregnancy when he was born.
“This two-meter high fall is a really important part of the birthing process as it’s what helps to break the umbilical cord and stimulates the calf to take its very first breath. While tiny in comparison to mum Orla, her new arrival was born already towering above us at 6ft tall and weighing a hefty 72kg [159 pounds],” giraffe team manager Sarah Raffe said in a statement.
Video provided by the zoo shows the nighttime birth, along with Stanley’s first steps. He can also be seen frolicking in the sunshine with the rest of his herd.
He was named for Mount Stanley, the tallest mountain in Uganda, where the zoo is working to help the giraffe population.
“For many years giraffes across Africa have been experiencing a silent extinction, and now the world’s tallest land mammal is one of the at-risk species,” said Mike Jordan, the zoo’s Director of Animals and Plants. “Having a healthy new calf on the ground here at the zoo is therefore fantastic news for the threatened species breeding program that’s boosting numbers in conservation zoos like ours.”
