Zookeepers at the Maryland Zoo were in for a surprise on Mar. 26 after they noticed a change in the behavior of the newly acquired giraffe named Kipepeo, nicknamed “Kipi,” who entered labor and gave birth in the early hours of Mar. 27, according to an Apr. 7 Maryland Zoo news release.
The twist: the zookeepers had no idea Kipi was pregnant, as the giraffe had been closely monitored since her arrival in November 2024.
The Maryland Zoo said there was no record of Kipi breeding before she was moved to Baltimore and that giraffes are not usually visibly pregnant due to their large body size.
The organization added that typically a fecal hormone analysis is needed to determine if a giraffe is pregnant.
“Gestation for reticulated giraffe is around 450 days, so Kipi was pregnant when she arrived in Baltimore,” said Erin Cantwell Grimm, mammal curator at the Maryland Zoo. “We’re keeping a close eye on the calf to make sure she hits her growth milestones and, so far, we like what we’re seeing.”
The new calf has yet to be named and currently weighs 58 kilograms and stands at approximately 6 feet tall.
The Maryland Zoo reports that the calf is nursing well so far and that Kipi “is being a great first-time mother.”
The Maryland Zoo’s male giraffe and okapi will remain visible for guests in their outside habitats, but the interior of the popular Giraffe House will be closed for an unspecified amount of time to let the mother and calf bond.