Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach County has a new resident — and they’re absolutely adorable.
Baby 🦒 BOOP!
Isn’t he just the cutest?! 🥰 pic.twitter.com/9aVD8fUr4x— Lion Country Safari (@LionCountry) December 30, 2022
Shortly after opening on December 27, the drive-through park welcomed a male giraffe to its herd, where guests in the park had a rare opportunity to witness the birth from their cars. The little one weighs about 150 pounds and stands at an impressive 5 feet, 10 inches.
Photos released of the newborn giraffe on Twitter show a healthy and handsome youngster seen hanging out and clinging to family.
IT’S A BOY! We are thrilled to share that we welcomed a male giraffe calf to our herd on 12/27. He is currently spending some quality time bonding with his mom in a maternity area but you can see him from the road in the last section of the safari! pic.twitter.com/Fbdyc9ne6f
— Lion Country Safari (@LionCountry) December 30, 2022
Shortly after his birth, the park asked the public for help in choosing a name for the newborn. In a Facebook post, they listed three names to choose from: Kandoro (meaning: sweet potato), Mahaba (meaning: love) and Kianga (meaning: sunshine).
As of yesterday, after a flood of comments on the post, the adorable little guy now has a name: Kandoro!
Giraffes reproduce year-round, with females giving birth to a single large calf after a gestation period of approximately fifteen months, according to Lion Country Safari. Females give birth standing up and calves are usually able to stand and run within a few hours following birth.
Lion Country Safari currently cares for 17 giraffes, one of the largest herds in the country.
In the meantime, Kandoro is spending some quality time bonding with his mom, 18-year-old Ayanna, in a maternity area, but visitors can see him from the road in the last section of their safari! We can’t wait to see this little one grow.
To visit Lion Country Safari and meet its small additions, you can find their website here.