The Toledo Zoo is affectionately calling its newest addition a runway model.
Binti, a female Masai giraffe calf, arrived in the world Thursday afternoon. She stands 6 feet, 2 inches and weighs 140 pounds, making her tall and slender.
“Everything looks great,” Michael Frushour, associate curator of mammals, said. “She’s doing very well.”
GALLERY: Welcome to the world, Binti
VIDEO: Toledo Zoo announces birth of second female giraffe calf
Binti, which means daughter in Swahili, was born to first-time mother Tuli, 6, and the zoo’s male, 6-year-old Trevor. She weighed 134 pounds during her first veterinary exam several days ago, and has been gaining weight steadily.
Keeper Joan Druyor said Binti was on her feet only 30 minutes after birth. Most newborn giraffes are standing by about an hour after birth.
“She’s very strong already,” Mrs. Druyor said. “She was on a mission. She came out fast too, so everything about her is fast.”
Tuli and Binti were indoors until Wednesday, when the pair was given access to a small outdoor stall adjacent to the main Africa! exhibit. Other members of the herd, including the father, got a chance to inspect the baby through a fence.
Binti can be seen by visitors if she and Tuli choose to be out, and will be slowly introduced to the rest of the giraffe herd, the exhibit, and other animals in the mixed-species exhibit over the next week or so.
“We want to get her as much sun and space and introduced to the new areas as soon as possible,” Mr. Frushour said.
He noted Binti has been very calm and friendly. Though her mother is more cautious, she so far hasn’t been fazed by new people, spaces, animals, or noises.
“Baby has been very comfortable,” Mr. Frushour said. “She’s just walked right up to people. She’s much more calm than I would expect her to be.”
Tuli has also done well with her first offspring. New mothers can be surprised by the sudden appearance of a new animal.
“They know they feel bad, then there’s this new animal in there with them,” Mr. Frushour said. “You want that maternal instinct to kick in right away. [Tuli] was startled when it first happened, but she was immediately grooming the baby and that’s one of the best signs.”
Tuli likely benefited from being around when Kipenzi was born to Elli in April, he added. The young female was able to watch an experienced mother care for a baby before her own came along.
Kipenzi is Binti’s half-sister and aunt. Both babies were sired by Trevor, while Elli is Tuli’s mother and Binti’s grandmother. That makes Binti the third generation in a herd that now has seven members with six females and a male.
Kipenzi is nearly 6 months old and is slowly being weaned by her mother. She is frequently found doing her own thing.
“She’s off roaming around most of the time,” Mrs. Druyor said. “She’s very independent and likes to go and visit other animals. She likes to hang out with the kudu a lot.”
But the zoo has never had two calves so close together, Mrs. Druyor said. Once Binti is fully introduced, she expects the two youngsters will “hang pretty tight together” and make the Africa! exhibit very entertaining.
“They’ll be out there frolicking and kicking around,” she said. “They’re going to go and it’s going to be adorable, legs flailing and necks going. At nap time, they’ll probably lay down together.”
Like Kipenzi, Binti is expected to stay in Toledo until she is 18 months to 2 years old. She will then move on to another facility for breeding at the recommendation of the Species Survival Plan for Masai giraffes in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
In 2016, all nine subspecies of giraffe — including the Masai native to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania — were listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The wild population has declined by 36 to 40 percent over the last 30 years.
Contact Alexandra Mester amester@theblade.com, 419-724-6066, or on Twitter @AlexMesterBlade.
First Published September 27, 2017, 5:10 p.m.
