This Baby Giraffe is Smiling at You

Denver Zoo quietly welcomed the birth of Dobby, a male, reticulated giraffe, on the morning of Tuesday, February 28, as millions of people waited for a giraffe to be born in New York to viral sensation April. Dobby was born to mother Kipele (kih-PAY-lay) at 3 a.m., measuring 5-feet-tall and weighing 73 pounds, both small figures for a newborn giraffe.

“Staff was monitoring Kipele overnight when she went into labor. Although the birth went well, the calf was not initially nursing. Staff fed the infant and provided critical care in his first hours of life to get him back on track. Now he’s nursing and we are feeling good about his health,” said Brian Aucone, Denver Zoo Senior Vice President for Animal Care & Conservation.