GULF BREEZE — Gulf Breeze Zoo has a new baby reticulated giraffe.
The giraffe has been named “Gibson” to honor one of the zoo’s long-standing landscapers, Larry “Gib” Gibson, who has worked at the zoo for 28 years.
The male giraffe calf — born Aug. 2 to mother, Gabby, a 14-year-old reticulated giraffe — measured 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 127 pounds at his birth.
Gibson, his mother, Gabby, and the whole giraffe family are available for viewing daily, weather dependent, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gulf Breeze Zoo.
●Giraffes are the tallest land mammals, with males reaching up to 18 feet tall.
●Giraffes generally give birth to one calf after a gestation of around 457 days (15 months).
●The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers giraffe populations stable. However, large portions of their natural habitats have been destroyed.
●The Reticulated African giraffe population has been estimated to range from 4,500 to 4,700 in the wild.
FAST FACTS
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Gulf Breeze Zoo welcomes giraffe calf