Rare baby giraffe born at a North Yorkshire zoo
Keepers at Flamingo Land say there are less than 1,400 of his kind in the wild
Last updated 3rd Apr 2025
A North Yorkshire Zoo has revealed it has a new rare baby giraffe.
The six foot bundle of legs and neck arrived on Mother's Day at Flamingo Land.
In the early hours of Sunday morning 9-year-old Rothschild’s giraffe Savannah gave birth to her second calf, the first born at the zoo for six years.
The father, four year old Albert, only arrived at Flamingo Land in September 2023 as part of the EAZA Ex-Situ Programme (EEP).
This is his first offspring and keepers have confirmed the calf is male.
He's been named Kijana.
Keepers say there are less than 1400 of his kind in the wild.
Head Keeper Sam DeBelle said:
“This was a fantastic surprise for the giraffe team on Sunday morning.
"We knew Savannah was pregnant, we just did not know when she was due.
"To find a calf on Mother’s day, just makes it extra special’.
The zoo now has eight Rothschild’s giraffes, however there could be more to come.
Park Executive Ross Snipp explained:
“In total we have five females, all of whom we believe could be pregnant, we are certainly expecting more calves this year.
"With less than 1400 reported in the wild every birth is a significant milestone. This year we hope to celebrate several of these milestones and continue to contribute to this important breeding programme”.
Keepers have named him Kijana, meaning ‘young man’ in Swahili. After spending the first few days bonding with his mother, Kijana is now out and about with the rest of the herd.