Watch the sighting here:
Johan Van Zyl from Wild Eye sent his video of this special moment to Latest Sightings. Unfortunately, we don’t have information detailing where the birth occurred, although it looks like it might have been in Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Giraffe behaving strangely
As Johan told Latest Sightings, “While out on the drive, we spotted a female giraffe, and we could instantly tell that something was different about her.”
Approaching carefully, Johan and his companions soon realised that the cow was in labour. As the video of the occasion begins, the calf’s head and forelegs are already visible.
Ample space
Realising that the giraffe was especially vulnerable, Johan gave her ample room to avoid adding to an already stressful situation.
He said, “They are not able to defend themselves during this process. Thus, they are under a lot of stress, not only for their safety but also for the safety of their newborn baby.”
Other onlookers arrive
Johan said that the birthing process took between 45 minutes and an hour to complete. With such a long neck and equally long legs, it took a while for them to emerge fully following successive contractions.
After they’d been there a while, other onlookers arrived. Another female giraffe seemed to be quite interested in what was going on. Or, was it that her own young calf was looking forward to meeting a new playmate?
By this stage, the calf’s head, neck, front legs and torso had emerged. The next challenge would be for its hips and hind legs to pass through the birth canal.
You’ll note the white substance on the calf’s back. That is the amniotic sac, a fluid-filled membrane that protects the foetus from infection during pregnancy.
Slowly but surely, the calf’s hips emerged. However, one more challenge had to be overcome before its birth could be called complete.
Falling into life
As we all know, giraffes are really tall, with females reaching heights of up to 4.8 metres. Since the female gives birth, that means the calf entry into the world entails a 2 metre drop.
One would think that this might harm the calf. However, they are extremely resilient. In fact, this fall is a vital component of their birth, since it kickstarts breathing and circulation.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Still vulnerable
Like many other herbivore prey species, young giraffes are frequently targeted by predators. As such, its mother will quickly lick away the amniotic fluid that covers its body so they are not attracted by the distinctive scent.
For the same reason, it is important that they stand and begin walking shortly after birth. Johan said that within an hour, the calf was standing on wobbly legs.
He continued, “At this point, we waited until it took its first steps, and that’s when we decided to leave and offer the mother and baby some well-deserved space.
An important reminder
In conclusion, Johan adds an important reminder to us all, “Being considerate and ethical about these moments is crucial, as added stress on either of the two could be negative. So, we went with warm hearts and smiles all around for being able to witness this incredible moment.”
Well done, Johan! Well done, Mama! And welcome to the world, little giraffe!