NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Zoo welcomed a newborn Masai female giraffe calf on Sep. 9 that officials said was given a "serendipitous name."
At the time of birth, the baby weighed 122.5 pounds and stood 6 feet tall.
Imara, the calf's mom, is welcoming her ninth child. For dad, Billy, the newborn is his fifteenth offspring.
The keepers named the baby Tisa, which means nine in Swahili, to represent her unique birthday and the number of her mother’s births.
The Zoo’s veterinarian, Dr. Tara Reilly, with the assistance of Keepers and Veterinary Technicians, helped Imara with a healthy and safe birth.
Keepers say Imara and her baby are bonding, and the calf is nursing well. To celebrate the arrival of Tisa, the Zoo is offering a $9.99 digital giraffe Zoodoption special, where locals can symbolically adopt the new calf until Sept. 30.
Everyone who purchases the digital Zoodoption special will enter to win a behind-the-scenes giraffe tour that features a meet and greet with the adopted animal and a personal Q&A with the giraffe keeper.
All proceeds from this special will benefit enrichment items for the Zoo’s giraffe herd and the Act for Wildlife fund that supports conservation efforts locally and around the world.
To find more information on the digital Zoodoption special visit click here.
