The Fort Worth Zoo shared some exciting news on October 22, 2025: the birth of a male giraffe on October 6th! Standing at 5’8″ tall at birth, he might sound like a very big baby, but believe it or not, he’s actually one of the smaller calves ever born at the zoo.
The zoo also posted an adorable video of the little guy exploring his new world, and everyone is completely smitten with this curious, gentle calf. Make sure to watch until the end, where there’s a sweet little surprise waiting!
We can’t take all of this cuteness, especially when the little guy came right up to the camera to check it out at the end of the video! The only thing we would’ve liked to see is more of the adorable little guy!
In addition to the adorable video, Fort Worth Zoo shared more in the caption: “A new little giraffe calf has joined the herd! Born in the early morning hours of Oct. 6, this little boy stood at only 5’8” at birth, making him one of the smallest calves we’ve had. But he’s already growing tall, gaining weight & today — joining the herd out on habitat! More to come on this short stack soon!”
Related: New Baby Giraffe Just Arrived at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Everyone’s Thrilled
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All About Baby Giraffes
After writing about animals for the past few years, I’ve picked up some pretty fun facts about baby giraffes. For instance, did you know they’re born with their eyes open and come out feet first? And while they look like miniature versions of their moms, their little horns, called ossicones, don’t stick up right away. They’re actually folded flat against their heads at birth and take a few hours to perk up and stand tall.
Another amazing fact is that within just an hour or so after birth, a baby giraffe, called a calf, is already ready to take its first steps. And not only can it walk, but it’s usually able to run shortly after!
The baby will double in size in its first year…talk about growing up fast! Even though giraffe calves are considered “big” babies, they’ll still nurse from mom for 9–12 months. In the wild, they usually stay with their mothers for up to two years. After that, the females often return to visit mom and the herd, while the males eventually venture off on their own.
We can’t wait for the zoo to share more videos and information about this little guy, including his name. We wonder if they’ll have a contest where fans can vote on his name, like they did with their baby elephant, Lady Bird!
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Oct 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.