(Photo by Tad Motoyama/L.A. Zoo)
There was a time when, like the unicorn, the giraffe was considered a mythical beast. A legend. A figment of our collective imagination. Something you only saw when you were high. In Greece, they believed the mysterious creature might be part camel and part leopard, and called it a camelopard! In fact, their crazy theory ended up in the giraffe's scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis. And do you know what, there's a baby camelopard at the L.A. Zoo right now!
The Zoo just sent out photos of the brand new, and currently unnamed two-week old giraffe calf. Just look at it for a sec and forget about everything else.
(Photo by Tad Motoyama/L.A. Zoo)
The female Masai giraffe was born on November 9, and weighs around 130 pounds; she is just under six feet tall. "The birth of this female giraffe is an example of the hard work and dedication zoos have committed to the conservation of Masai giraffe," said Josh Sisk, Curator of Mammals at the Los Angeles Zoo. "Successful breeding programs such as this ensure future generations are able to personally experience these magnificent animals."
Check out the calf and the entire camelopard herd, on exhibit daily.
