Baby giraffe at Houston Zoo now has a name
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Zoo welcomed a baby giraffe this week. And now she has a name: Gigi!
The name means "girl giraffe."
She's the tenth giraffe born in captivity at the Houston Zoo.
Gigi is a Masai giraffe. She was born shortly before 7:45pm Monday. After a 3-hour-long labor, both first-time mom, Asali, and Gigi weredoing well and are currently bonding behind the scenes with keeper and veterinary teams watching over the pair.
"It's always exciting when we have a new baby at the zoo, and when that baby is more than six feet tall, it's an incredible moment," Houston Zoo Hoofed Stock Supervisor John Register said after the birth. "Our team is thrilled to welcome a new baby to our giraffe herd."
The calf weighed 160 pounds and was 6 feet 3 inches tall at birth.
The Houston Zoo is now home to nine Masai giraffes, including five males and four females.
The honor of naming the newest member of the Houston Zoo herd went to Jim Postl, Houston Zoo board of directors' member, who won the naming rights during a live auction at the 2015 Zoo Ball.
