Tiergarten: Amari has a “little” brother in Neu

On Wednesday, Schönbrunn’s reticulated giraffes gave birth to offspring again. A year and a half after the last breeding success, giraffe cow Flor gave birth to her second calf, Neo.

After elephants and rhinos, giraffes are among the land mammals with the longest gestation period, at about 15 months. The upbringing of the youngest offspring of the Schönbrunner giraffe went well from the start. The gender of the cub is also known: it is a male. “The mother animal cares a lot from the first moment and regularly licks and examines her young animal. The little one drinks well,” says Simon Hedderthauer, Head of the Department of Zoology, adding: “Giraffes throw while standing. The young animal is born with front legs first.” Soon after birth, the little animal was able to stand on its own and take its first steps. This ability is essential in the wild in order to be able to flee as quickly as possible from predators such as lions or spotted hyenas. Reticulated giraffes live in the savannas of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

Even if the names of individual animals are no longer given priority in Schönbrunn Zoo in the name of species protection, the little one has already been named. He will listen to Neo in the future, as decided by the nursing staff.

An important contribution to species conservation

Fleur and his offspring Nio are currently being separated from the rest of the group with another female. Also in the wild, females giving birth separate themselves from the herd. If all goes according to plan, the other group members will get to know the calf over the next few days. As well as his older sister Ammari. With careful care and monitoring by an experienced team of breeders, integrating the young animal into the group should work just fine. Not only is Schönbrunn Zoo happy with the offspring in its herd of giraffes: it is also an important contribution to the European conservation breeding of the endangered reticulated giraffe.

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