The Toronto Zoo is welcoming an adorable baby giraffe
We love her already
In recent years, there have been some dark developments in the giraffe department of the Toronto Zoo. On New Year’s Day, 13-year-old Kiko, a male Masai giraffe—a species listed as endangered—died from a heart attack after he got caught in a habitat enclosure door. In 2024, his two-year-old offspring, another Masai giraffe named Matumaini, died during a standard castration procedure.
But today we bring you much sweeter news: this weekend, Kiko’s widow, Mstari, gave birth to an adorable two-metre-tall female calf that has yet to be named. Within just 30 minutes of being born in the wee hours of Sunday morning, the lanky calf was already standing up on her spindly legs—an achievement putting most of us snoozed-alarm-clock types to shame. A press release from the Toronto Zoo reports that “things are looking good for the ‘little’ calf” and that she’s healthy and nursing easily.
Related: Here are some pictures of all the Toronto Zoo’s baby animals
Even though the zoo continues to mourn the loss of Kiko, he might have been more of a “weekend dad” to his new daughter anyway, as calves tend to be reared entirely by their mothers. Another press release from the zoo published earlier this month notes, “After mating, males largely resume their typical routines of feeding, roaming and competing for access to receptive females rather than providing protection, guidance or caring to their offspring.”
The new arrival does ensure that Kiko’s lineage stretches on, though. There are only about 35,000 Masai giraffes worldwide, making this birth a particularly big deal.
The Toronto Zoo is giving Mstari and her speckled babe time to bond privately for now but will announce viewing dates as soon as it’s time for her debut. Until then, those who need a dose of baby animal dopamine can monitor the zoo’s social media pages for photos and videos, like this footage of her feeding and trying different selfie angles.
Lindsey King is a Toronto-based writer and editor whose work can be found in Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canada’s 100 Best and more. She is interested in arts and culture, food and drink, architecture, design, and real estate stories
