Emara, an 8-year-old giraffe at the Calgary Zoo, gave birth to a male calf on Sept. 29, 2019, after three failed pregnancies. Photo by Mona Keith, Zookeeper
After three failed pregnancies, helping a giraffe carry her newborn calf to term was a tall order for Calgary Zoo officials.
Eight-year-old giraffe Emara gave birth to a male calf on Sunday. Although pregnancy issues are uncommon for Masai giraffes, Emara has experienced two miscarriages and had another calf die within 24 hours of birth.
When she became pregnant again, Calgary Zoo officials partnered with international specialists to help the new mother successfully give birth to her son by trying something that hasn’t been done for giraffes.
“Pregnancy issues in giraffes are rare, and our work with specialists and zoos across North America to help Emara successfully become a mom was worth it,” said Dr. Sandie Black, head of veterinary services.
Emara’s last pregnancy was monitored closely by the animal care team because of the previous miscarriages. The team, in collaboration with a reproductive physiologist from the University of Guelph, found her progesterone levels declined during pregnancy.
Because of the low levels of the hormone, she gave birth to a calf with birth defects and it died within its first day.
When she became pregnant again, zoo staff and reproductive specialists disguised progesterone supplements in the eight-year-old’s favourite snack. Pregnancy supplements are common for humans and domestic animals, but had not been previously reported in giraffes, according to zoo officials.
“We work hard to ensure the physical and psychological welfare of the animals we love and care for at our facilities,” said Black.
The latest addition to the Calgary Zoo’s giraffe family.
The supplements worked and Emara’s baby was born at the early end of gestation. He is smaller than an average baby giraffe, so they are carefully monitoring him and will be keeping mother and son out of the public eye until zookeepers are confident in their health.
The birth is also exciting for the zoo because Masai giraffes are an endangered species due to habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting. In the past 30 years, populations of the spotted creatures have dropped 40 per cent.
Twitter: @BabychStephanie
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October 02, 2019 at 10:55PM
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