EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens announced the pregnancy of Gigi the Giraffe and she is due in the coming weeks. This marks the first giraffe birth for the El Paso Zoo.
Zoo representatives say they are working closely with Survival Species Protection (SSP) to ensure that the pregnancy remains safe for Gigi and father, Juma, who is also at the zoo. After monitoring Gigi for about 14 months, zoo veterinarians can confirm that Gigi has been moving along well and will be giving birth in the coming weeks.
“We are all very excited about this new addition to our Zoo family. This has been in the plans for years and we are finally very close to welcoming this new life to the zoo. We are excited to add another animal to these beautiful, majestic, and endangered species. The global giraffe population has declined by more than 40% in the wild and they continue to decline at an alarming rate. Each addition to this population is very significant—and babies are just fun!”
El Paso Zoo Director, Joe Montisano.
Gigi and Juma are currently on exhibit for the public to view. The zoo will be suspending the popular giraffe feeding encounters until after the birth and when the giraffe family settles in.
To learn more about the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, visit www.elpasozoo.org.
