Giraffe Birth Watch - Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio, USA

This camera looks down into the indoor giraffe barn at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Ohio, where a mother-to-be named Tessa and her herd mates eat from hanging feeders and rest on a bed of wood shavings.

Tessa, who is 19 years old, was due in October 2026 to have her fifth calf, fathered by a five-year-old male named Zeke. Once the calf is strong enough, it will join the herd outside at the zoo’s Giraffe Ridge habitat.

Giraffes carry their calves for about 15 months and give birth standing up, so the newborn drops about 6.5 feet (2 m) to the ground. The fall breaks the umbilical cord and helps the calf take its first breath.

Did You Know? A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighs around 140 pounds (65 kg), and within an hour it’s usually up and standing.

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