Local News

Meet the newest addition to the Franklin Park Zoo

A Masai giraffe calf was born July 14, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 184 pounds.

A giraffe calf drinks milk from its mother.
A Masai giraffe calf was born on July 14 at the Franklin Park Zoo. Franklin Park Zoo

By Lydia Evans

1 minute to read

Franklin Park Zoo in Boston welcomed a Masai giraffe calf on July 14, an exciting event in the conservation of the endangered species. 

The six-foot tall, 184-pound male calf was “standing and nursing from mom, Amari” within an hour of his birth, according to the Franklin Park Zoo. 

“Amari is an attentive mother and the calf appears healthy and strong,” Chris Bartos, an assistant curator at the zoo, said in the release. “The dedicated care team has been closely monitoring the mother and baby since the birth. The calf has been nursing well and is curious about his surroundings.”

A baby giraffe.
The calf weighs 184 pounds and stands at 6 feet tall. – Franklin Park Zoo

This is Amari’s second calf since 2021, when she give birth to a baby girl in October of that year.

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Zoo New England owns Franklin Park Zoo as well as Stone Zoo in Stoneham and participates in over 60 Species Survival Plans, an inter-zoo program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. One of their plans is for the Masai giraffe.

Giraffes have seen a 40 percent decline of their global population over the last 30 years, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, with only 45,000 Masai giraffe remaining in the wild.

The Species Survival Plans work to prevent the extinction of endangered species, managing the breeding of species to “maintain a genetically healthy and demographically stable captive population,” according to the SSP’s website.

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The SSP credits “public education, research, and partnerships with scientists in the field,” as “vital components” to potentially reintroducing the captive endangered species to the wild.

Both of Amari’s calves were the result of a recommendation for Chad the giraffe, who came from the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2018, to breed with her.

Amari and the calf have continued to bond since his birth. The zoo wrote in a press release that a public debut of the baby giraffe will be announced “when the time comes.” 

“He is a strong, healthy calf and appears bright and alert,” said Dr. Chris Bonar, director of animal health for Zoo New England. “As with any newborn, he will be closely monitored by his care team as he continues to grow and reach milestones.”

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