Orana Wildlife Park is excited to announce that a beautiful three-week-old male giraffe calf will move on display for the first time tomorrow, Tuesday, 10 January. The yet-to-be-named calf is being assist-fed by our dedicated animal keepers.

Orana’s Acting Exotic Species Assistant Manager, Stewart Taylor, explains: “the healthy calf was born just before Christmas to first time mother Kamili. Unfortunately, Kamili would not allow the calf to feed, so in consultation with our vet team we made the decision to transfer the youngster to Rangiora Vet Centre to establish a bottle-feeding regime in their 24-hour care clinic. This also meant he could be closely monitored during the early stages to provide him with the best possible start to life. Our team spent the evenings with him at the clinic to establish a bond as well as assist Rangiora Vet Centre staff with his care.”

“We are thrilled with his progress. He returned to Orana just over a week ago. He is feeding well, guzzling 6 litres per day, and has already grown to be over 6 foot tall so he stands higher than most of our team.”

“The calf is housed alongside the rest of our herd, including Kamili, and he has ventured to the outside yard over the past few days. Tomorrow he will have the opportunity to join the herd in our large display and this is a significant milestone for him and the team. I am sure our visitors will delight in meeting him too”, concludes Stewart.

Orana Wildlife Park is privileged to be part of the managed regional breeding programme for this increasingly threatened species. Giraffe populations continue to decline due to habitat loss and poaching.

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