Dear Lili,
This story reminded me of you, of course. This baby giraffe named Lily was born almost exactly ten years after you on June 28, 2008 at Lion Country Safari. We visited there in March 2003 with Nonnie and Poppie.
Thinking opf you all the time.
You are always in my heart.
Love always,
Dad 8) xoxoxoxox
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Lion Country Safari Welcomes Baby Giraffe
Lily Is 173 Pounds, 6 Feet Tall
POSTED: 6:32 pm EDT July 6, 2008
UPDATED: 2:37 pm EDT July 7, 2008
LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Lion Country Safari recently welcomed its newest baby giraffe.
At 173 pounds and 6 feet tall, Lily is already making a big name for herself.
“She’s about a week old right now,” said Brian Dowling of Lion Country Safari. “She was born last Saturday on the 28th. Mom went through about 50 minutes of labor, so it wasn’t too long of a labor.”
Lily is one of Lion Country’s largest baby giraffes ever.
“A female giraffe weighs about 1,500 pounds,” Dowling said. “If she’s having a 150- to 170-pound baby, that’s equivalent to a 150-pound woman delivering a 17-pound baby.”
At Lion Country, the mother giraffe and the baby calf are placed inside a maternity pin for three months after the mother gives birth. That allows the mother and the baby to bond.
“Within an hour after birth, the calf was on its feet and walking around,” Dowling said. “It’s very important that they get on their feet and they walk around right away. They have to be able to stand up to reach mom to be able to nurse and also to protect them. For protection against predators, they need to get on their feet and be able to keep up with mom.”
Lion Country Safari has a successful giraffe reproduction program. The total number of giraffes on site is 13.
Copyright 2008 by WPBF.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read more: http://www.wpbf.com/news/16804586/detail.html#ixzz1bHhWKoEk
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