CINCINNATI, Ohio — A zoo in Ohio has welcomed a new baby giraffe shortly after losing the 12-year-old male giraffe that sired him.
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden says 8-year-old Cece delivered the calf Saturday and mom and baby are doing fine.
Zoo officials say it’s too soon to determine the sex of the six-foot-tall calf.
The calf was the seventh sired by Kimba, who died earlier this month from complications following a surgical procedure on his hooves.
The calf is the 17th giraffe born at the zoo.
Giraffes populations in the wild are being impacted by habitat loss, trophy hunting and illegal poaching, Zoo officials say up to 75% of calves in the wild die in their first few months of life, mainly due to predators.
