It was just a few weeks ago that the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines facilitated the birth of a rare baby black rhino, and now the zoo says one of their four giraffes is pregnant.
In this River to River interview, host Ben Kieffer talks with caretakers, veterinarian Dr. June Olds and large mammal supervisor Lou Keeley, about reticulated giraffe Uzuri's pregnancy and what they are planning for with the birth.
"When a giraffe gives birth, she'll give birth standing up," he says. "So you can imagine, that's a pretty large fall for that calf once it drops out; that's six feet. So, we want to make sure she's giving birth on a very soft substrate, a heavy bed, so that the calf has a nice comfortable landing when she comes into this world."
Keeley estimates that Uzuri will give birth in mid-December of this year.
