Baby boom at Florida zoo with arrivals of 2 giraffe

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There is a baby boom at a Florida zoo.

Two reticulated giraffe calves — a male and a female — were born this week at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. The births mark the 41st giraffe calves born at the zoo.

The Florida Times-Union reports Friday’s birth was the fourth for Luna.

Zoo officials said Luna wasn’t in labour Friday morning so they felt confident in letting her roam in the exhibit area with the rest of the herd. Staff members kept watch because they knew she was near the end of her pregnancy. When the calf’s front hooves appeared in the early afternoon, the rest of the herd was moved away for privacy. But the female calf was born in the exhibit area as visitors to the zoo watched.