We’re head over hooves over this BIG news: our 3-year-old Masai giraffe, Tisa, is pregnant!  

Tisa’s calf will be the second calf expected at the Zoo this year. In January, we shared that 12-year-old giraffe, Kumi, is pregnant as well. Now, Kumi is within her birthing window. Giraffe are pregnant for about 13–15 months—a lengthy window of time that makes a due date hard to narrow down. 

These are potentially the first giraffe births at Brevard Zoo since these little ones’ sire, Mapenzi, was born in 2020. 

Tisa was born at the Virginia Zoo in 2022 and arrived at Brevard Zoo in 2023 after being paired with Mapenzi according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan for Masai giraffes. This program ensures there is a healthy, genetically diverse safeguard population in AZA-accredited organizations.  

This calf’s arrival is good news for the Masai giraffe subspecies, which is considered endangered and is threatened by habitat loss, poaching, disease, and more in Tanzania and Kenya. 

Tisa is surrounded by an experienced animal care team that includes senior members who have handled giraffe births before. She appears to be healthy, and her pregnancy is proceeding as it should be. As the birth window nears, her animal care team will closely monitor her for any possible signs of labor, including restlessness, inappetence, and teat development.  

Giraffe calves are about six feet tall and 150 pounds at birth. They face a hefty 6-foot drop from their mothers at birth that breaks the umbilical cord, encourages their first breath, and jumpstarts their ability to begin walking within an hour of birth.  

After the birth, Tisa and her calf will stay behind-the-scenes for some quality time together except for a brief exam by our animal care and veterinary teams to ensure all is well with the calf. Based on Tisa and her calf’s behaviors, their animal care team will then decide when introductions to the rest of the giraffe herd – and eventually the guest-facing habitats – will take place. 

We’ll keep you updated on any developments here on our blog as well as on our social media channels.