Surprise! The Denver Zoo quietly welcomed Dobby the giraffe on Feb. 28, 2017 at 3 a.m.
The zoo says the birth came as a surprise, as they didn't know the mom, Kipele, was pregnant until recently.
"Staff was monitoring Kipele overnight when she went into labor. Although the birth went well, the calf was not initially nursing. Staff fed the infant and provided critical care in his first hours of life to get him back on track. Now he's nursing and we are feeling good about his health," said Brian Aucone, Denver Zoo Senior Vice President for Animal Care & Conservation.
Dobby measures 5-feet-tall and weighs 73 pounds, which is on the small side for a newborn giraffe.
"This was certainly a welcome addition to the Denver Zoo Family," said Aucone. "Dobby may not have been a planned birth, but now that he's here, we're excited to have him and look forward to him engaging with our guests."
