OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Zoo has welcomed a member to the giraffe family.
On Friday, Zoo officials announced the birth of a female giraffe calf from the parents of Julu and Demetri. This is the third child for Mother Julu (10) and father Demetri (8), who was born on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, inside the Giraffe Barn at Expedition Africa.
According to the Zoo, the new calf weighed 150 lbs. at birth and has not yet been named.
“We are proud to continue perpetuating the species that is facing what some scientists call ‘The Silent Extinction,’” said OKC Zoo’s Curator of Hoofstock, Bill Smith. “Julu has been pregnant for more than a year now, so we’ve all been eagerly awaiting the newest member of our animal family.”
Giraffes are currently listed as a vulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, says the Zoo.
“The members of the giraffe herd have long been one of the Zoo’s most popular species and we’re excited to see this young calf grow right before our eyes,” said OKC Zoo executive director and CEO Dwight Lawson.
“Giraffe are around 6 feet tall at birth and can grow as much as three centimeters a day during their first week,” Smith said. “Calves are born with ossicones, which some people confuse with horns. At birth the ossicones are made of cartilage and lay flat against the head to allow for a safer birth for both mother and calf. As the calf gets older, they will ossify (turn to bone) and fuse with the skull.”
Julu and her newest baby giraffe are expected to bond inside the Zoo’s giraffe barn/Giraffe House, where guests will have a chance to see them together.
For more information on the Oklahoma City Zoo’s hours of operation and admission, click okczoo.org/tickets.
