The Tulsa Zoo is thrilled to announce that Zoe, a 5-year-old reticulated giraffe, is expecting her second calf later this spring. Zoe’s first calf, Mi-Na, was born in July 2023, and the zoo’s care team is closely monitoring her second pregnancy. The birth is expected to take place within the next few months, as giraffe gestation typically lasts 14 to 15 months.
Zoe arrived at the Tulsa Zoo in 2002 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, which aims to maintain a sustainable giraffe population. She was paired with male giraffe Hekaya, and their first calf, Mi-Na, will be the first to meet the new sibling. The zoo’s Zoological Manager for Elephants and Hoofstock, Jessica Scallan, mentioned that Zoe has been a very attentive mother and that this experience will be educational for Mi-Na, who may one day become a mother herself.
Giraffes are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 68,300 mature individuals left in the wild. The Tulsa Zoo’s breeding program for giraffes is crucial in helping to maintain the population of these endangered animals.
For more information on Zoe’s pregnancy and the Tulsa Zoo’s conservation efforts, visit www.tulsazoo.org. Stay tuned for updates on Zoe’s journey to motherhood and the new addition to the zoo’s giraffe family.
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