The miracle of life is astounding across all species. We’re familiar with human pregnancy and birth, but different species have different ways of caring for their young.
For example, did you know that giraffe moms carry their calves in the womb for about 15 months and give birth standing up? Crazy!
We don’t often have the opportunity to witness animal births, so when they’re caught on camera, we’re given the opportunity to study these events in detail. In 2013, a rare Rothschild Giraffe was born at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center, a conversation society in Connecticut, and keepers were there to film it all.
The clip starts with giraffe mom Petal in labor, and you can already see traces of the baby, like the hooves. In a matter of minutes, the head appears, dangling from mom. But not to worry! The hard fall is what “wakes” the calf up after birth.
As soon as the calf is born and on the ground, Petal starts tending to and cleaning her baby with care. Perhaps the most astounding part of the giraffe’s birth comes 30 minutes after she hits the ground: she’s already on her feet, taking her first steps, and feeding. The miracle of life knows no bounds!
There are about 1500 Rothschild Giraffes left in the wild, making them an endangered subspecies.
Please Liked Video if footage of this rare baby’s birth blew you away!
