Holiday Giraffe Births at Zoo Miami 2022

Holiday Giraffe Births at Zoo Miami

This past Thanksgiving, Zoo Miami had something special to be grateful for: the birth and exhibit debut of our 58th giraffe! The healthy male calf was born on Sunday, November 20, 2022. The mother, Mia, is 15 years old and this is her eighth calf.

Standing over six feet tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds, the yet unnamed newborn is believed to be one of the largest giraffe calves ever born at Zoo Miami. On November 23, 2022, just in time for Thanksgiving, he made his exhibit debut and received lots of attention from the rest of the herd, with each giraffe taking turns approaching, smelling, and licking him. He was unfazed by the attention, and spent the morning exploring his new home.

Then, just over a week before Christmas, we welcomed another calf! On December 16, 2022, another healthy male giraffe was born – this time, to eight-year-old mother “Zuri.” Our 59th newborn giraffe stood over five feet tall and weighed 150 pounds. He made his exhibit debut on December 19, 2022.

These giraffes are actually half-brothers, both born to five-year-old Malcolm and they are his fifth and sixth offspring. They can now be seen on their habitat in the Africa lobe at Zoo Miami.