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West Palm Beach, FL – Lion Country Safari welcomed the second giraffe calf of 2018 at approximately 10:45 a.m. on February 18, 2018. The newest baby, a 6 foot-tall (1.8m), 160-pound (72.6kg) male is the nineteenth member of the park’s giraffe herd, one of the largest in the country.
The new calf, named Jioni (pronounced “jy-oh-nee,” meaning dusk in Swahili) is an outgoing, charming new addition to the herd. Both new calves (born exactly two weeks apart) are currently spending quality time with their moms in adjacent maternity areas. They remain visible to the public in the last section of Lion Country Safari’s preserve, where guests may catch a glimpse from their vehicles of the babies nursing.
Giraffe reproduce year-round with females giving birth to a single large calf after a gestation period of approximately fifteen months. Females give birth standing up and calves are usually able to stand and run within a few hours following birth. Life expectancy of a giraffe is twenty-five years.
Lion Country Safari is the only drive-through safari in South Florida. Guests can see over 1000 animals on 320 acres. The park is also home to the largest herd of zebras in the country. For more information, please call the main office at (561) 793-1084 or visit us online at www.lioncountrysafari.com.
Photo: Lion Country Safari