Zahra the Baby Giraffe

Born October 17, 2009

Giraffe Cam

Live video from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Update October 30, 2009:  Zahra and Zuri now have access to two stalls in the barn.  The Web Cam is pointed at one of the two stalls.

Update November 6, 2009:  Adult female giraffe Kalahari is now allowed to mingle with Zahra and Zuri.

Update November 11, 2009:  Today, Mystic and Luna will meet Zahra for the first time.  From now on, all five female giraffes will be permitted to mingle on most days.   When outdoor temperatures are above 50 degrees, Zahra and Zuri will have access to their outdoor exercise yard, so they may not be on camera.

Peek into the African Journey barn where baby Zahra and her mother Zuri live.  The webcam is live from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET daily.

Birth Date:  October 17, 2009 at 11:03 p.m.
Birth Weight:  137 pounds
Height:  6 feet, 1-1/2 inches

What to look for as you watch the Giraffe Cam

Nursing:  Baby giraffes drink their mother's milk for the first several months of life.  At about two months, they add solid food to their diet.  They are completely weaned (no longer nursing) at eight to 18 months old.

Feeding:  Zuri eats hay from a rack mounted on the barn wall.  She also gets grain and treats from zoo keepers.

Training:  Zoo keepers train the giraffes every day using operant conditioning.  Giraffes are trained to hold still on a target so keepers can visually inspect the giraffes' bodies, lift their feet for foot inspections, and other behaviors.  Food (usually carrots, apples, or leafy branches) is used as a reward when the giraffes cooperate with keepers' requests.  Keepers never enter the stalls with the giraffes, so training is conducted through the mesh-covered windows.

Cleaning:  Zoo keepers normally clean the giraffe stalls daily, but while the baby is very young, keepers clean less frequently so mom and baby are undisturbed.  The giraffes move to an adjacent stall when the keeper is cleaning.

Where are the other giraffes?

The African Journey barn has four stalls for giraffes, plus an exercise yard.  Jelani, Mystic, Luna, and Kalahari are in the other stalls, but they can peek at Zuri and Zahra through mesh windows.  They are all very interested in Zahra!  When Zahra is a few weeks old, she'll start mingling with the female giraffes.  She won't be introduced to male giraffe Jelani until next spring when the herd moves into the grassy giraffe yard.

Links to Learn More About Zahra

Zahra's Photo Gallery

Zahra's Birth Day Video
Amazing footage of Zuri giving birth to Zahra.

Meet the Giraffes

Adopt a giraffe

Learn more about giraffes

This Fort Wayne Children's Zoo Web Cam was created in partnership with Comcast and an Immersive Learning Team from Ball State University.