El Paso Zoo: Baby giraffe ready to meet the public
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Get ready to meet Obi the baby giraffe, El Paso! The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens is inviting the public to meet the 3-month-old boy, his mom, Gigi, and father, Juma.
Right now you can see mom and baby in the mornings from 9:00 to noon and dad in the afternoons.
Obi was born April 19, 2023. The zoo announced Gigi's pregnancy earlier that same month. Giraffes have a 15-month gestational period. The zoo says it took advantage of that long pregnancy to baby-proof the enclosure before the birth.
The zoo gave him a few months to adjust to his exhibit before introducing him to the world. ABC-7 got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the giraffe just a few days after his birth. You can see that video here.
Obi is the first giraffe born at the El Paso Zoo.
"It is not only significant for El Paso, but also a milestone in the ongoing conservation efforts for this endangered species," Joe Montisano, the Zoo's director, told ABC-7.
“In the last 30 years, the giraffe population in Africa has declined by more than 40% to approximately 100,000 animals," Montisano said in April, shortly after Obi's birth. "Giraffes are now extinct in seven African countries and all giraffe species are critically endangered. This birth is significant not only for the El Paso Zoo but also for the overall giraffe population."
"Through the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, El Paso Zoo and its partners are working collectively to help save giraffes through education, scientific study, fieldwork, public awareness, and action," a spokesperson said in a recent statement. "Giraffes face numerous threats in the wild, including habitat loss and poaching."
The public had to wait three months to meet Obi, but many of us already have an attachment to the baby. The El Paso Zoo put out a survey, allowing El Pasoans to help choose the baby's name. The choices were between Obi, Dakari, and Tesoro.
