The Tulsa Zoo is thrilled to announce that Zoe, the 5-year-old reticulated giraffe, is pregnant. This will be Zoe’s second calf and sibling to female Mi-Na. Normal giraffe gestation is 14 to 15 months. Zoe’s care team estimates the calf will be born later this spring.
“Zoe’s second pregnancy is progressing normally,” said Tulsa Zoo Zoological Manager for Elephants and Hoofstock Jessica Scallan. “However, all pregnancies have risk. Our animal care and veterinary staff are monitoring Zoe closely and have created an individualized birth plan that is tailored to her needs. From ultrasounds to weights or blood draws, Zoe is participating in her own health care.”
Zoe came to Tulsa Zoo in 2002 on a breeding recommendation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® with male giraffe, Hekaya. This program works to ensure a sustainable population of these animals in AZA care. Zoe and Hekaya’s first calf Mi-Na was born on July 26, 2023.
“Zoe has proven to be a very attentive mother,” said Scallan. “This experience will be a very educational experience for young female Mi-Na, who may one day be a mother. She will also be the first from the herd to meet the new calf. We’re excited to see the dynamics that will develop between the siblings.”
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, giraffes are classified as vulnerable with fewer than 68,300 mature individuals left in the wild.
