The Louisville Zoo

Baby giraffe sticks his neck out, goes public

He may be over 6 feet tall and weigh 233 pounds, but Bakari is still a baby. Just the same, the young Masai giraffe is finally ready to come out and face the world!

Bakari (pronounced bah-KAH-ree) is now braving the great outdoors at his Louisville Zoo home on a regular full-time basis. According to the zoo, he goes out daily now with the rest of the herd: his 11-year-old mother Malaika; Mariah, a 21-year-old female; and Walker, a 14-year-old male.

"He is doing great," said Candy McMahan, assistant mammal curator at the zoo. "He has wonderful mobility and is now running around the yard at top speed."

Bakari, which means "hopeful," was born Feb. 17 with some physical problems. The little giraffe's legs were wobbly, and he couldn't stand on his own, even after zoo workers lifted him to his feet.

But after intravenous treatments  — and a lot of TLC from zoo workers — things are looking up for Bakari. He's taller, heavier and stronger.

"He is definitely shooting up," McMahan said. "Bakari is a bold and confident giraffe — a stark contrast to his beginning days. We are thrilled with how he is doing."

Bakari is still being bottle fed four times a day, but he is beginning to nibble on solid grain and hay. The zoo expects to wean him from the bottle before the end of the year, and he may be able to take part in the giraffe herd's public feed station sometime next year.

Bakari's seems to have a taste for his zoo enviornment, McMahan said.

"He licks everything,"  she said, "rocks, signs, locks, hinges — staff! He is almost like a little human baby, constantly exploring his surroundings."

Visitors can also get a close-up view of Bakari every day when he comes inside the front stall of the Giraffe House for his noon bottle feeding. However, the little giraffe may not be on exhibit some days because of weather.   

- by Bill Wolfe, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)