Giraffe Birth Is First In 16 Years At Portland Zoo

The first baby giraffe born at the Washington Park Zoo in the past 16 years needed only about half an hour to learn to walk.

But the birth took more than five hours as the baby’s long neck and nose appeared about an inch at a time, according to zoo spokesman Steve Cohen.

The 150-pound female calf was up and walking within 34 minutes after seven attempts. The calf was born at 11:35 p.m. Friday.

The mother, Johari, stands 13 feet tall and weighs 1,700 pounds. Father Akeem is more than 16 feet tall and weighs 2,200 pounds.

Normal gestation for giraffes is between 420 and 450 days. The baby was born after 445 days.