Giraffe Baby Born in Seattle: Gestation Period of Animals 15 Months

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle Washington welcomed a new member of the family. The 5-and-a-half foot tall giraffe was born to a 6-year-old mom on Aug. 6 named Olivia at 7:03 p.m., according to the Woodland Park website.

Labor lasted just 1.5 hours, with around the same amount of time following birth until the giraffe was able to take its first steps.

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation shows that the average gestation period for a giraffe is approximately 15 months.

Giraffes give birth in a 'calving ground' while mothers will often return to where they were born to have their own babies. They have no formal breeding season as many are designed to be able to shift feeding patterns in order to maintain a high nutrient diet throughout most of the year and calving is often synchronized to provide safety against predators.

With their long legs and necks, it comes as no surprise that giraffe's give birth standing up and requiring the newborn to fall just under 2 meters to the ground. But with such a surprising new beginning, this allows for the newborn calf (another name for a baby giraffe) to be able to stand and walk within just about an hour after the birthing process.

As for now, zookeepers are keeping an eye on the calf's progress as it spends time with the mother. In just a few month's, she will be introduced to the Africana Savanna where she will coexist with other wildlife including zebras, oryx and gazelle, according to the zoo. 

"We usually give mom and the calf 24 hours to bond and nurse before we get our hands on them or interfere with them in anyway," said animal curator Martin Ramirez, via the Seattle Times.

At this time, the sex of the calf has not been determined.