Maryland Zoo Surprised By Baby Giraffe, Didn’t Know Mom Kipi Was Pregnant When She Arrived

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore got a “spring surprise” last month when a baby was born to a giraffe that was not known to be pregnant.

Four-year-old reticulated giraffe Kipepeo, nicknamed Kipi, arrived at the Maryland Zoo in Nov. 2024 from another Association for Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo, and there was no record of her breeding before she was transferred. But when keepers noticed a “slight change in her behavior” on March 26, they began keeping a closer eye on her.

To everyone’s surprise, Kipi gave birth to a healthy female calf in the early morning hours of March 27.

“Gestation for reticulated giraffe is around 450 days so Kipi was pregnant when she arrived in Baltimore,” said Erin Cantwell Grimm, Mammal Curator at the Maryland Zoo. “Were keeping a close eye on the calf to make sure she hits her growth milestones and, so far, we like what were seeing.”

According to the zoo, giraffe don’t typically show visibly when they are pregnant, and a fecal hormone analysis is generally needed to confirm a pregnancy.

The calf, which has not yet been named, stands approximately 6 feet tall and weighs about 128 pounds. Zookeepers say she is nursing well and Kipi is “being a great first-time mother.”

The interior of the zoo’s Giraffe House will remain closed while Kipi and the calf continue to bond behind the scenes, but visitors can still view the zoo’s male giraffe and okapi in the outdoor habitat.