Tulsa Zoo Announce Giraffe is Expecting

Tulsa Zoo have announced that giraffe, Zoe is expecting. This will be the first calf for Zoe who is the youngest giraffe to call Tulsa home.

With a giraffe pregnancy being almost as long as their necks at 14 to 15 months long zookeepers expect to welcome the calf in summer.

“As with all pregnancies, there are risks, so we are closely monitoring Zoe,” said Tulsa Zoo Curator of Mammals Jordan Piha. “Just like in human pregnancies, we monitor through ultrasound techniques. To do this, our animal care team put in a lot of work to teach her how to stand for ultrasounds.”

Zoe came to Tulsa Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan®. She was paired with male, Hekaya to help ensure the population of giraffe in captivity are sustainable.

In a release the zoo described Zoe as, “curious, smart and attentive to her surroundings. She is also the most people-oriented giraffe at Tulsa Zoo.”

Giraffe are considered vulnerable to extinction with just 117,000 remaining in their native, Africa.