Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Now that's a big baby!
The Santa Barbara Zoo's Masai giraffe, Audrey, gave birth this week. The newborn is 6-foot-1-inch (1.8 meters) and weighs 180 pounds (81.6 kilograms).
Curator of Mammals Michele Green says it was a fast and smooth birth, and the female calf stood up and was nursing in only two hours.
A medical exam Thursday found the calf to be strong and healthy. The mother and baby remain out of view for now.
A naming contest will allow the public to choose from the options of Amirah, Makena, Nugget and Quintin.
The zoo says there are about 37,000 Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania, but they are at risk due to poaching and degradation and loss of habitat.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
