Jackson N.J. ? After several months of anticipation, Six Flags Wild Safari celebrates the birth of a baby giraffe. The new addition was introduced into the African Plains section of the Wild Safari.
The gestation period of a giraffe, the tallest, land-living animal species, lasts between 14-15 months, and the mother gives birth standing up. The mother giraffe Holly gave birth to her six-foot, 160-pound newborn in a private paddock in the Wild Safari and the male calf was introduced into a herd of 11 Giraffes in the African Plains section three weeks later. Both the mother and calf are doing well.
?Provided that the mother and baby are doing well, we try to maintain a hands-off operation and allow nature to take its course,? said Dr. William Rives, a Six Flags Wild Safari exotic animal expert for 17 years. ?Holly is a good mother and is doing an excellent job raising her newborn.?
Safari visitors can see the calf frolicking with the herd in the African Plains section and following closely behind mom, learning about his new environment.
Park guests can see the newborn giraffe addition and more than 1,200 other Wild Safari residents daily through Sept.1 and weekend through Nov. 2. The Wild Safari is open from 9am to 4 pm any theme park operating day except Fridays during Fright Fest. For more information visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure .
(http://gadvupdates.com/gallery/albums/WadeJ/SFWS.sized.jpg)