Tall tale? Phoenix Zoo announces arrival of baby giraffe

PHOENIX – It might be April Fools’ Day, but this is no tall tale.

Well, it sort of is.

The Phoenix Zoo on Monday announced the recent arrival of its third baby giraffe in less than two years.

The still unnamed girl, who stands nearly 6 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds, was born March 22.

CONTINUED: The Savanna just got a little more sunshine recently when the Masai giraffe family, mom Sunshine and father Miguu, welcomed a new arrival on March 22. Notes from the animal care and vet teams indicate the nearly six-foot-tall, 150-pound baby is a healthy girl! pic.twitter.com/k6uizXjE4E

— Phoenix Zoo (@PhoenixZoo) April 1, 2019

She is the second calf born to Sunshine and the third sired by Miguu. All three calves are females.

The newcomer will spend time bonding with her mother in the giraffe barn for a few weeks before making her debut in the zoo’s savanna exhibit.

Sunshine, who is almost 6 years old, came to the Phoenix Zoo as part of the Masai Giraffe Species Survival Plan in 2014 and gave birth to Siku in September 2017.

Siku, the first giraffe born at the facility in 12 years, and the baby have a half-sister in Rafiki, whom Imara gave birth to in June 2018.

The father, 10-year-old Miguu, has been at the Phoenix Zoo since coming from the Los Angeles Zoo in 2010.

Earlier Monday, the zoo got into the “holiday” spirit by announcing the birth of an Andean Tortobear. There’s no such thing, of course.

It’s baby season! We’d like to welcome our newest addition, a newborn Andean Tortobear! #MoreThanAZoo pic.twitter.com/3B290LYfLI

— Phoenix Zoo (@PhoenixZoo) April 1, 2019

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